Like other major events of this magnitude, a large number of volunteers are needed to ensure success. Students, staff and faculty members join together to make this celebration a reality. Each year, new volunteers become part of the team.
LSU Candlelight Celebration is a live event featuring performances by LSU students, faculty, and staff. Miss LSU is the emcee of the event each year.
Held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, hundreds of children attend the event to see Santa and start their holiday season. Santa is invited to read "Cajun Night Before Christmas," a book that celebrates Louisiana's culture in the spirit of Christmas. Mike the Tiger and the LSU cheerleaders join in the reading.
LSU Schola Cantorum with Tuba Euphonium Ensemble perform holiday favorites and lead guests in the singing of carols during the show. These ensembles and others are invited to a tech rehearsal a day prior to the performance.
LSU Candlelight Celebration works to provide something for everyone from ensemble music and solos to dance and spoken word. Pictured, LSU School of Music student Ebony Preston performs "O Holy Night."
LSU Tiger Dance Sport Exhibition Team performs to "The Christmas Waltz."
Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre brought excerpts from "The Nutcracker- A Tale from the Bayou." LSU students and alumni star in the ballet each year.
Dancing bear from Act I of "The Nutcracker - A Tale from the Bayou."
Included in the music and dance entertainment, LSU Candlelight Celebration invites additional religions and cultures to share their traditions with campus. Hillel at LSU lights the Hanukkah Menorah and speaks of the Festival of Lights.
LSU African American Cultural Center speaks to the audience of the meaning of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Showcasing Asian culture, these LSU students performed "Flying Apsaras." Event guests were awed by grace and beauty of their work.
It's not a holiday event without holiday treats. LSU Candlelight Celebration collaborates with sponsors LSU Dining, Baton Rouge Coca Cola Bottling Company, Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, CC's Community Coffee House, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, and Copeland's of New Orleans to provide refreshments for Tigers young and old. Refreshments are managed by event volunteers.
LSU Candlelight Celebration depends on volunteers to be successful. LSU Ambassadors are the premier volunteers for the event and assist with backstage management, guest refreshments and guidance, and the leading of the Alma Mater at the tree lighting.
LSU Ambassadors leading the Alma Mater at the tree lighting.
As a reaction to LSU's budget cuts, Candlelight Celebration was budget conscious and produced the event for approximately $3,500. The 35 ft. tree was purchased at a local tree farm for less than $500, and LSU electricians decorated the tree with recycled Christmas lights. The event relied heavily on volunteers from students and staff to save money wherever possible.
Each year, the LSU Christmas Tree is a favorite Christmas Card photo location for the campus community. Families gathered at the tree in 2010 for photos.
In 2009, LSU Candlelight Celebration moved indoors to the Shaver Theatre because of inclement weather.
The move to the theatre provided guest comfort, increased sound quality, and additional dressing rooms for the cast. The event has moved permanently to the Shaver Theatre with plans to plant a live Christmas tree near the building. The tree can be endowed for $65,000.
Above is an excerpt of the 2009 filming of LSU Candlelight Celebration, which was moved to the theatre hours before curtain. The event was filmed by Cox Communications and aired in the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orleans regions. Cox also made event available On Demand during the month of December.
The move to the theatre provided guest comfort, increased sound quality, and additional dressing rooms for the cast. The event has moved permanently to the Shaver Theatre with plans to plant a live Christmas tree near the building. The tree can be endowed for $65,000.
Above is an excerpt of the 2009 filming of LSU Candlelight Celebration, which was moved to the theatre hours before curtain. The event was filmed by Cox Communications and aired in the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orleans regions. Cox also made event available On Demand during the month of December.