SMU's Annual Celebration of Lights Set for Dec. 5

SMU's Celebration of Lights on Sunday kicks off the holiday season.

Celebration of Lights at SMU

By Chris Dell and Cherri Gann
SMU News

Celebration of Lights at SMUSouthern Methodist University's Hilltop will be glowing with Christmas lights when the Student Foundation hosts its annual Celebration of Lights Sunday evening, December 5, in front of Dallas Hall.

Hot chocolate and cookies will be served on the Main Quad beginning at 6 p.m.

The celebration starts at 7 p.m. SMU students and guests will sing Christmas carols and hear SMU President R. Gerald Turner read The Christmas Story. The groups who will perform at the ceremony include:

  • Southern Gentlemen
  • Belle Tones
  • Voices of Inspiration
  • Jenny Tressa and Jen Nguyen (are the 2 song leaders)
  • Frontier Live

The finale will be the lighting of a Christmas tree, Dallas Hall and the surrounding trees with more than 100,000 twinkling lights to ring in the holiday season.

“It’s a really fun tradition,” says junior Staci Talamonti, Student Foundation campus events chair. “This year we’re adding some modern elements — mash-ups of carols, some jazzy twists and different takes on traditional songs.”
 
Talamonti estimates that up to 3,000 people will take part in the festivities, many of them from the Dallas community. Students and guests will be able to enjoy the lights every evening through the holiday season.

 SMU Celebration of Lights by Clayton Smith

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