USI to celebrate Lighting a Tradition with holiday festivities

The University of Southern Indiana Student Alumni Association is set to host the 28th annual Lighting a Tradition at 6 p.m. Monday, November 19 on The Quad of the USI campus. The event is open to students, faculty, staff, retirees and the community.

The USI holiday season commences with the ceremonial lighting of thousands of synchronously twinkling holiday lights neatly strung through the trees surrounding The Quad at 6 p.m. Several former and a number of new traditions will take place at this year's event, including train rides, cookie decorating, horse and carriage rides, photos with Santa, a hot chocolate bar and, new this year, a festive holiday carnival village.

At 5:30 p.m., guests can come early and visit the festive holiday carnival village in Rice Plaza, located just outside the University Center (UC). The event will include carnival games, giveaways and more. Train rides and horse and carriage rides will begin at 6:30 p.m. Guests can warm up in the UC with a hot chocolate, snap a picture with Santa or decorate holiday cookies.   

This holiday season, the Student Alumni Association will be selling long sleeve Lighting a Tradition t-shirts the week before the event inside the UC. Shirts will be $17, and all profits will go to an Evansville charity. You can also stop by the Alumni Relations & Volunteer USI office to purchase a t-shirt The Student Alumni Association will also be accepting new or gently used hats and scarves to be donated at the event to a local shelter.

Lighting a Tradition is open to all who wish to celebrate the season. For additional information, contact Caylin Blockley, assistant director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer USI, at 812-465-1215 or cjblockley@usi.edu.