Due to the forecast for rain overnight through Tuesday morning, the Festival of Lights and Luminaries will be moved to Thursday, Dec. 4 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
The Elon campus will glow with the light of thousands of luminaries on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the Festival of Lights and Luminaries, organized by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life to celebrate how light brings the community together.
This annual Elon tradition invites students, faculty, staff, and neighbors to explore the wide range of religious, spiritual, ethical and cultural traditions and worldviews represented at Elon through interactive and educational stations spread out across campus. The evening encourages guests to come together, learn something new, and experience the richness of the diverse campus community in a hands-on way.
This year’s theme, “Many Lights on One Night,” brings together the largest number of participants in the event’s history, with a record 36 stations: 24 educational tables, seven entertainment stations, three refreshment areas, and two informational tables.
“The Festival of Lights and Luminaries invites our community to pause, breathe, and remember that even in the busiest and darkest moments of the year, light continues to guide us. This celebration creates space for reflection, connection, and the sense of peace we often struggle to find as the semester quickens,” said University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin C. Boswell. “As we walk the paths illuminated by thousands of lights, we are reminded of the strength that comes from gathering together, sharing hope, and allowing ourselves to be uplifted by beauty. It is a moment that calls us back to one another — and to the enduring light within and around us.”
Thousands of lights and luminaries will transform the historic neighborhood, the Lambert Academic Village and Under the Oaks. Guests are invited to stroll through campus, enjoy educational crafts and activities, live music, sip hot chocolate and cider, and connect with one another.
“This year’s theme, ‘Many Lights on One Night,’ celebrates how each of us brings our own light, our own religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural traditions and worldviews, to this shared event,” said Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement. “At the Festival of Lights and Luminaries, those individual lights come together to create something brighter than any one of us could offer alone.”
There are several new tables this year, including Tikkun Olam, Spectrum, the Spanish Club, and Pagan Life. The expanded lineup reflects the importance of this beloved campus tradition and reflects the growing range of voices, stories, and identities shaping Elon’s multifaith community. Each brings its own perspective and set of traditions, adding even more depth to the night’s offerings and reflecting the growing range of voices and stories shaping Elon’s multifaith community.
For the 11th year, the festival will honor Elon’s generous donors by featuring their names on luminaries across campus. The tradition symbolizes the thousands of donors who help light the path forward for future generations. Donor luminaries will be displayed Under the Oaks, in the historic neighborhood and throughout the Lambert Academic Village.
The festival’s success is a collaborative effort, with contributions from the Truitt Center, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Facilities Management, Technology Services, Catering, Student Involvement, University Advancement, University Communications and the Office of the Vice President for Student Life. Together, they aim to create a welcoming space where all feel connected and inspired.