When thousands gather Dec. 5 on the University of Virginia’s Lawn for the 25th Lighting of the Lawn, they will be part of more than dazzling lights and a synchronized display set to music.
They will join a quarter-century of tradition, born of tragedy and raised through creativity, that has become a defining celebration of community and remembrance at UVA.
Here’s a look back at some of the moments that have shaped this beloved Wahoo tradition over the years.
Students gather for the first Lighting of the Lawn in December 2001. The Class of 2002 Trustees created the tradition in response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks as a way to bring the community together during a difficult time. (Contributed photo)
2001: The first lighting
Just months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers in New York, damaged the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and downed an airliner in Pennsylvania, the Class of 2002 Trustees wanted to lift the community’s spirits during the upcoming holiday season.
They envisioned a simple-but-meaningful gesture: stringing lights around the Lawn’s historic buildings and serving hot cider and cocoa as they switched them on, creating a gathering place of light in a dark time.
“I don’t think any of us could have imagined that it would become as big as it has,” said Mary Elizabeth Luzar, one of the original organizers. Since graduating in 2002, Luzar has served as the adviser for the Fourth Year Trustees, helping guide the event’s growth. “In the moment, we were so focused on planning something special for that particular time.”
The students turned to Facilities Management for help to safely hang the lights. With incandescent bulbs sourced from Lowe’s and a now-closed Kmart, they outlined the columns of all 10 pavilions and the Rotunda.
On the night of the event, electricians stood ready at different locations. When the countdown ended, they all plugged in their cords simultaneously, and the Lawn lit up for the very first time.
LED lights sit waiting to illuminate the Lawn. A donation from Dominion Virginia Power enabled the switch from incandescent to LED bulbs, reducing energy costs to one-sixth of previous levels while improving durability. (Contributed photo)
2008: Dominion Virginia Power’s donation
Seven years later, Lighting of the Lawn received a major upgrade when Dominion Virginia Power donated mini string lights, allowing organizers to switch from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. The new lights were brighter, more durable and more energy efficient.
The change made the event more sustainable, using only a sixth of the energy of the original setup.
“They were so much more durable,” now-retired UVA electrician David Roberts said. “They didn’t break, and there was so much less maintenance once they changed over to LED.”
The update not only reduced the event’s environmental impact but also demonstrated the students’ commitment to improving the event year after year.
A makeshift control box sits ready for the first light show. Class of 2015 student Kevin Seitter built the system from plywood and basic electronics, programming the lights to synchronize with music – a feature that would become the signature element of the tradition. (Contributed photo)
2012: First light show
Organizers added a completely new element to Lighting of the Lawn in 2012: a synchronized light show set to music.
It all began when Kevin Seitter, a Class of 2015 student, posted a Facebook video of a small Christmas light show he’d created in his dorm lounge. Committee chair Jenna Dagenhart saw it and reached out with a question: Could something like that happen on the Lawn?
“At first, I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. That’s not gonna happen,’” Seitter said. But as the idea took shape, he realized it might actually be possible.
Seitter got to work, building a rudimentary control board out of plywood with outlets and relays connected to his laptop. With Roberts’ help, he set up under the Rotunda steps, where all the lights were plugged in.
The theme that year was “All of the Lights.” After the initial illumination, the lights suddenly went dark. The crowd stirred in confusion as Seitter frantically switched cables. He had misaligned the outlets by one slot.
“It felt like hours,” he said. In reality, it was about 30 seconds. But at last, Seitter’s tussle with the equipment ended. The music played, and the first-ever Lighting of the Lawn light show started.
“It was rough around the edges in every way,” Seitter said. But that first show, with all its imperfections, established what would become a highly anticipated element of the tradition.
The show still goes on, even during 2020’s global pandemic. Facilities Management worked with the Fourth Year Trustees to string lights at a social distance. (Photo by University Communications)
2020: A virtual celebration
By 2020, Lighting of the Lawn had grown into a massive community celebration. But when the pandemic hit, the Class of 2021 Trustees faced a choice: Cancel the event or adapt.
“We had no idea what the world would look like in eight or nine months,” Ally Bollettino, now Ally Newton, said. She served as a co-chair in 2020.
The committee reimagined the event into a prerecorded virtual show, rescheduling it for late November so students and clubs could participate before leaving for Thanksgiving break. The theme, “Finding Our Light,” reflected hope and unity amid uncertainty and isolation.
The finished video featured student performances and ended with the classic light show set to music. Students watched from their dorms, while alumni tuned in from around the world.
For the first time, lights were also hung on the Rotunda’s north side, facing University Avenue, allowing community members to enjoy the display safely from a distance.
“Looking back on my time in college, pulling off that video for Lighting of the Lawn is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Newton said.
Drones form UVA’s V-Sabre logo in the night sky above the Rotunda. Lighting of the Lawn’s first drone show featured 100 synchronized drones creating aerial animations. This year’s celebration will feature 200 drones. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
2024: Send in the drones
Last year’s event added another innovation: a drone light show. Thanks to funding from the Arts on the Hill program, organizers partnered with Sky Elements to launch 100 synchronized drones that created aerial animations above the Rotunda.
The 12-minute display featured winter-themed designs choreographed to music, adding a new dimension to the tradition. “This addition proved that Lighting of the Lawn will only continue to get bigger and brighter,” last year’s co-chair Chelsea Huffman said.
Her fellow former co-chair, Riley McNeil, agreed. “To be even a small part of something that has brought light and unity to our community for 25 years is such a privilege.”
Co-chairs Rebecca Denton, right, and Merritt Brazell, center, work with Facilities Management electrician Gary Mason to prepare for this year’s celebration. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
2025: The show goes on
This year, the 25th celebration embraces both history and the future with the theme “Remix: A Quarter Century of Light.” The name captures what Lighting of the Lawn has always stood for: reimagining tradition, honoring the past and celebrating togetherness.
“Remix is about bringing elements from the past into the present,” current co-chair Rebecca Denton said. “Whether it’s remembering how we’ve grown from difficult times or celebrating how the event has evolved, LOTL at its core has always been about bringing people together.”
Thanks to continued support from Arts on the Hill and the UVA President’s Office, the night will include an expanded drone show, this time featuring 200 drones from Charlottesville-based Airloom Drone Shows, creating new designs to soar above the Rotunda.
Music will feature remixes of popular songs from the past 25 years, and organizers have a surprise planned for the first 5,000 guests.
“I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say we are introducing brand new, never-before-seen-at-UVA program experiences,” Merritt Brazell, this year’s other co-chair, said.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with performances starting at 7 p.m. and the light show at 9 p.m.
Twenty-five years after the lights first came on, they continue to shine as a reminder that even in darkness, there is always light to be found.
