The campus community will once again gather in celebration to ring in the holiday season at the third-annual Wittenberg Tree Lighting event on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Chapel Lawn and Alumni Way.
The official tree lighting will take place on Chapel Lawn at 5:30 p.m. Holiday music will be provided by a capella groups Just Eve and the Wittmen Crew, while Wittenberg’s GetWittCrew, Cheerleading and Pep Band will keep the event festive. For the second straight year, the traditional ‘Sounds of the Season’ sing-along event will take place at the tree lighting beginning at approximately 4:30 p.m. This annual singing of favorite Christmas tunes is in partnership with the Office of Human Resources. In the case of rain, all events will move inside to Geil Lounge on the lower level of the Benham-Pence Student Center. The lineup for this year’s event is as follows:
- 4:20-4:30 p.m. – Cheer Team
- 4:30-4:45 p.m. – Caroling
- 4:45-5:15 p.m. – Pep Band
- 5:15-5:30 p.m. – Just Eve
- 5:45-6:00 p.m. – WittMen Crew
Other activities will include assorted holiday crafts and a make-your-own reindeer chow station with Chex Mix, chocolate, and other treats. Hot beverages and refreshments will also be available.
“I love how this tree lighting event brings the campus together not only to celebrate the holidays, but to celebrate our campus community,” said Brandee Bates Kern, director of donor experience and stewardship, who plans each year’s event. “Thank you to our campus partners who are helping to make this year’s event a special one. I’m looking forward to a great turnout.”
Also, during the Tree Lighting event, the Language Learning Center, the Department of World Languages & Cultures in conjunction with the Department of Art, will be hosting a traditional “Winterfest,” a German-style Christmas market event on Stoughton Lawn offering students a chance to taste German holiday treats, make crafts, enter a raffle, get their photo taken with Krampus, and shop select local vendors.
Looking ahead, mark the calendar for another traditional holiday favorite at Wittenberg that involves ‘light’ – the annual Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas, part of this 2023-24 Wittenberg Series. Offering a time of music and reflection as the Advent season unfolds, Lessons and Carols will take place on Friday, Dec. 8, with pre-service music beginning at 7 p.m. followed by the service at 7:30 p.m.
