Samantha Chaffin
News Editor
Idaho State University’s Union Program Council (UPC) will host the third annual Tree Lighting Festival on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.
The tree lighting will be held at the quad entrance of the Student Union Building and is free to the ISU community as well as the general public.
ISU’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Laura Woodworth-Ney will be the speaker at this year’s event prior to the tree lighting.
The event will include the lighting of a 23-foot tree, carriage rides, an ‘interactive’ ice sculpture, various craft activities, pictures with Santa, hot cocoa, holiday treats and musical performances.
The ISU Chamber Choir will sing during the actual lighting and the Century High School Choir, Gate City Pocatello Choir, and the ISU Ensemble Jazz Band will also perform.
Danny Spangler, a sculptor from Sun Valley, Idaho, will carve a block of ice into a bench prior to the event where people can sit and take festive photos in front of the tree.
“We just wanted to kind of give all students a little bit of holiday cheer during the holiday season,” said Alonzo Lemus, UPC student director. “We don’t want to make the school just bland, you know. Also we wanted to give international students a way to celebrate the holidays, especially since lot of them don’t have the accessibility of going back home.”
Face-painting and other craft activities sponsored by the ISU Craft Shop will take place during the event in addition to carriage rides, snacks provided by Chartwells and photos with Santa inside the Student Union Building.
Free mugs will be given to the first 200 attendees.
According to Lemus, the event usually runs until around 10 p.m.
He said a lot of time is dedicated to carriage rides and people sometimes stand in line for hours to participate in this unique part of the festivities.
Last year, approximately 900 people attended the event, according to Lemus, and he hopes to see 2,000 or more people attend this year.
The UPC has posted fliers advertising the event around campus and the community and will be decorating the inside of the Student Union Building prior to the event.
Lemus emphasized that every aspect of the event from the tree lighting to activities, snacks and carriage rides is completely free to everyone.
ASISU will also be setting up a canned food drive for ISU students at the event. All who attend are welcome and encouraged to contribute.
“It’s a great time to feel like a part of the community, and I think it’s just a great time to spread some holiday spirit,” said UPC member Ayla Miller.
UPC members include Lemus, Miller, Taylor Jensen and Danielle Swenson.
