Festival of Lights and Luminaries 2026

The Festival of Lights & Luminaries unites the Elon University and Town of Elon communities around shared imagery of light, and celebrates the diversity of our religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions, worldviews, and identities. Our 2026 Festival is centered around the theme: The Light We Share.

Campus clubs, programs, and communities will be sharing their traditions with visitors to the Festival, which this year will take place on the rain date of December 3, 2026 from 6:30pm-8:00pm. The Office of Sustainability will offer Sustainable Holiday Wrapping Kits, Elon Outdoors will offer S’mores Outdoors, there will be music stations featuring Choirs, a Saxophone Quartet, and A Capella Groups, and of course, there will be hot chocolate and cider.

IN CASE OF EVENT EMERGENCY, CLICK HERE FOR THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

2026 Festival of Lights and Luminaries: The Light We Share

This year’s theme, “The Light We Share,” brings together 34 stations: 21 educational tables, 7 entertainment stations, 4 refreshments areas, and 2 informational tables.

Religious, Spiritual, Ethical and Cultural Stations:

APSAlutely Bright

The APSAlutely Bright table will offer guests the opportunity to decorate their own lanterns and release them into Fonville Fountain. The Fonville Fountain is a staple to Elon’s campus since it’s in the very heart of our small town. It’s been a place where students go to meet up with each other in between classes, and many Elon seniors even go to take their graduation pictures there. Every student has had a memory by Fonville, and it would be extremely meaningful to put all of our wishes in a place we all share a deep love for.

Arabian Lights

The station will have lanterns of varying sizes characterized by lattice patterns and lit by battery-powered candles or fairy lights.  The geometric shadows of the lanterns will symbolize how culture creates beautiful patterns of shared connection while the candles symbolize the light by which human culture and shared stories illuminate the dark.

Bollywood Lights

Bollywood is such an upbeat and lighthearted dance style that incorporates light in many ways through movement. It is all about spreading emotion through dance, so we take pride in sharing the light of Bollywood dance with our audiences.

Divine Spectrum of Queer Light (Spirit and Pride)

Provides multifaith space to make quick art projects related queerness and light. And get candy.

Eight Nights, Shared Light

Hannukah is a celebration of light and the miracle that the oil for one night lasted for eight. We are excited to share the light of Hanukkah with the whole Elon community through dreidel and jelly donuts!

Hanukkah- Out of Many, One

The Hanukkah lights are each separate flames, but together the make one bigger beautiful show of light which grows with each passing night and with each share light.

La Lumière

Luminaries have been an Elon tradition since 1984. The Festival of Holiday Lights is a magical evening enjoyed by students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members alike. The event provides beautiful lights and visuals across the historic neighborhood that are meant to highlight Elon’s cultural, ethnic, religious, and spiritual backgrounds. The French Club wants to be a part of that and spread the light that is French Culture and the French community here at Elon.

Light and Letters- Letters to Santa

This table is set up for students and families to write letters to Santa, leaving them at our mailbox to be “sent”. This shared act reminds us of the community we are connected to this holiday season.

Lighting Our Path: Celebrating Kwanzaa with ADE

We will focus on highlighting the 7 principles of Kwanzaa and how they are applicable to our lives not just during the holiday season but year-round. Kwanzaa is a African American and Pan African holiday that aims to promote unity, culture and heritage. Not only is the maintain motif of Kwanzaa a ‘kinara’, a seven-pronged candleholder, but symbolically, Kwanzaa serves as a time for all black people to honor those who came before and the traditions that still carry them forward. We want to engage not just the black community but the broader campus community on reflecting on principles that can unite and liberate us all.

Light Upon Light

Our Muslim Society station celebrates the light we share through faith, community, kindness, and connection. Inspired by the Islamic concept of Noor (light), our station invites everyone to learn more about Islam, connect with our community, and experience the warmth and joy that comes from sharing light with others.

Luce d’Italia

By telling a story from the culture we teach/share across campus, we are spreading knowledge to others about our light from the Italian culture.

Match the Light (Polyglot LLC)

This is game station where participants can match the word “light” in different languages. The Polyglot LLC is a group of students who are interested in learning different languages. The table combines language learning and the festival theme together.

Roman Saturnalia with Classical Studies

Our table will be based on the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia, and feature sweets, grape juice, and an activity area. As one of the main holidays in the Roman religious calendar, taking place in mid-December, Saturnalia was a time of fellowship, gift-giving, and sharing community.

Shine the Hanukkah Light

The Hebrew Club will have donuts (traditional Hanukkah food) and will be teaching Hebrew words related to the holidays.

Sustainable Holiday Wrapping Kits

We all share Earth’s resources – this is a way to encourage sustainable behavior so that we can continue to have and share these resources.

汤圆团圆 (Tangyuan Tuanyuan)- Glutinous Rice Balls Together

We will be handing out and telling people about the history of Tangyuan. Tangyuan is a snack in China that is typically shared with others during the holiday season.

The Light We Share

Join the Truitt Center at Lights & Luminaries for a community art project inspired by Marilyn R. Wilson’s poem Connected Under the Stars. We invite you to reflect on what you’re proud to be connected to. This could be a community, a religion, a team, a person, or anything or anyone that gives you a sense of belonging. Each connection will be written on a strip of paper, folded into a small origami star, and added to a collection of stars. Together, these stars will serve as a reminder that despite our differences, we are all connected under the same sky.

Twas the Light Before Christmas: The Advent Season

CCM and LEAF will co-sponsor the Advent table, sharing the message of Advent as the time of preparation before Christmas. The message of Jesus, the light of the world, is the light we hope to share with those who come to our table.

Velitas with Spanish Club

Velitas with Spanish Club was inspired by Día de las Velitas, which is a beloved Colombian tradition that marks the beginning of Christmas season and it is usually celebrated on Dec 7th. Families will make lanterns and place them in outdoor spaces.

Winter Wreaths with German Club

We will have a station for making advent wreathes (non-religious). These wreaths, which feature candles, are meant to be used as centerpieces, and bring families and communities together during the holiday season.

Wishes for Light: A Yule Intention Practice

As we enter the darkest stretch of the year, many Pagan and earth-based traditions turn toward practices that welcome light, warmth, and renewal. This activity invites you to write a simple intention for the months ahead and tie it to a cinnamon stick or dried orange slice. It’s a quiet moment to ground yourself, honor the season, and name what you hope to cultivate in these the darker months ahead.

Music and Entertainment:

A Capella

Enjoy songs from our own Elon student a capella groups.

Holiday Music

Stop by the Long patio to hear holiday music from our Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant campus communities.

Saxophone Quartet

As you stroll through the Historic Neighborhood, enjoy the sounds of Elon’s saxophone quartet.

Elon Photo Frame

Take a photo in our lit up Elon photo frame, located near the Fonville Fountain, for a memory of the Festival of Lights and Luminaries 2026.

LED Wand Stations (3 stations)

Light up the night with fun Light Wands to celebrate the light we share!

Refreshments:

Hot Chocolate, Cider, and Water (3 stations)
S’mores Outdoors (1 station)

Informational Stations

Student Wayfinder

The Office of Parent Engagement will have a table Under the Oaks with maps of where luminaries are located, and staff members available to assist students in finding their luminary!

The Senior Circle

Senior Class luminaries are around the Fonville Fountain. We will provide assistance in finding seniors luminaires as well as information regarding upcoming events for the Class of 2027.