On November 29, VSU celebrates the start of the holiday season with the Lighting of the Palms, an all-time favorite. Dr. Richard Carvajal, the university president, continues to send an invitation to the Valdosta community in addition to Blazer Nation to gather on the front lawn for live music, games, and a movie that will cap the evening. The Lighting of the Palms first began through the efforts of several VSU administrators and was first held on December 2, 2002.
After a few years without hosting the event, VSU reintroduced the tradition in 2014 and began lighting the Palms after Thanksgiving break to ring in the Christmas spirit and honor the upcoming Fall grads. Many students have said the Christmas tradition truly does make them feel like a child once again. Students and residents of the Valdosta community continue to fill the front lawn for this event. Every year, there is growing excitement as people wait for the President to flip the switch while he is spreading holiday cheer.
For the 2022 date, Campus Activities Board (CAB) is doing cookie decorating and showing Elf in the Student Union Theater, while Fire Pit has organized a station to write letters to the troops. Be sure to come out to this year’s Lighting of the Palms to officially kick the Christmas season!
📸 For more photos from Lighting of the Palms 2021 visit our Flickr page
Written by:
Carmen Rowser
Graduate Assistant
University Marketing & Communications
