New this year: carriage rides, train rides for kids and karaoke

Image copyright: Provided. Click here to view this release in a browser and download images.

The University of Southern Indiana Student Alumni Association will host the 27th annual Lighting a Tradition at 6 p.m. Monday, November 20 on The Quad of the USI campus.

Festive holiday lights strung on the trees around The Quad will be illuminated, kicking off the holiday season at USI. Along with the traditions past, several new and notable additions have been made to this year’s event, including horse and carriage rides, train rides for the kids and karaoke, aka Christmas Carol-oke.

At 6:30 p.m. guests can mingle over cups of hot chocolate in the University Center (UC) Breezeway and enjoy caroling in front of the Rice Library. Children can hop aboard the train and take a ride around The Quad. From 7 – 8:30 p.m., horse and carriage rides will be offered, leaving from the north side of the Rice Library.

Also beginning at 7 p.m., several fun holiday events will take place in the University Center. Visitors can participate in cookie and card decorating, get a photo with Santa in the UC Cone, at the UC Fireside Lounge, step inside snow globes that inflate when you enter for another photo opportunity, or stop by the Student Life Lounge to belt out your favorite holiday tunes for Christmas Carol-oke.

At 8 p.m. gather in the Wright Administration Building Forum I for a free showing of the holiday classic movie Elf.

Lighting a Tradition is open to all who wish to celebrate the season. The Student Alumni Association will be accepting new or gently used hats and scarves to be donated to a local shelter, and Toys for Tots also will be on site for toy donations.

For additional information, contact Caylin Blockley, assistant director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer USI, at 812-465-1215 or cjblockley@usi.edu.