The seventh annual Lighting of the Green will begin Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. with an outdoor concert hosted by Amy Grant starting at 5:30 p.m.
The event will begin with the Merry Marketplace in Allen Arena Mall, which features holiday vendors who donate a portion of profits to Lipscomb scholarships.
Stephanie Davis, a junior from Farmer City, Ill., said she loves the annual holiday event.
“I think it’s an awesome experience,” said Davis, a physical education and health major. “It just really brings the students together and the community together to celebrate the Christmas cheer. We have some awesome singers and special people. It’s just a special time. I love it.”
As usual, free photos with Santa will be available in the campus center. This year’s concert will feature Amy Grant, Point of Grace, Melinda Doolittle, Jenny Gill, Sterling Glittens, Gene Miller, Lipscomb student choruses, Lipscomb University brass quintet and opera singer Amanda McCaslin accompanied by Jim Dausch.
Isaac Reser, a theology major, had positive comments about the annual tradition.
“I always enjoy Lighting of the Green. It is certainly one of those times where it makes it really pleasant to walk up and down toward Ezell,” said Reser, who is from Atlanta, Ga. “And I really like that they use environmental friendly lights out there that use less energy. That’s a change that they’ve made that really reflects student opinion in the past couple of years. I think that’s really cool that that’s somewhere they’ve been willing to change what they’re doing.
“I would ask how we can make it more environmentally friendly because it still uses a lot of electricity,” Reser contintued, “but it’s definitely one of the times when our campus is the most beautiful.”
Last year’s Lighting of the Green event looked different than previous years. Due to inclement weather, all activities were moved indoors. For now, this year’s holiday event is slated to take place outside in Allen Arena Mall as usual.
Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods or cash to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank.
This year’s event is sponsored by C. O. Christian & Sons, American Paper & Twine, Arthur J. Gallagher & Company, Bacon Construction, The Mall at Green Hills, Nashville Arts & Entertainment Magazine, Stites & Harbison, R.J. Young and Sodexo.
For more details about performers at the outdoor concert, visit the event page on the Lipscomb University website .
Check out our photos from last year’s event.