UNM-G to light up the night

Independent Staff

GALLUP — The University of New Mexico-Gallup invites the community to attend the launching of a new tradition: the first Holiday Lighting and Reception at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29 in front of Gurley Hall.

The college has been preparing for the holidays by installing luminarias along the roof line of Gurley Hall and Zollinger Library. Faculty, staff, and friends of the college are invited to attend as the luminarias are lit. After the ceremony, community members are invited inside Gurley Hall, where there will be holiday music, and cider and hot chocolate will be served. A visit from a famous person from the North Pole is also scheduled.

"We hope the entire community will join us for this special event, and that it will be a traditional stop on everyone's tour of the local holiday lights," said Beth Miller, UNM-Gallup executive director.

Miller also announced that concurrent with the launching of the Holiday Lighting, the college was putting to rest a long-time tradition, Holiday Magic.

"Holiday Magic in recent years has outgrown our capacity to accommodate it, both in terms of space and manpower," Miller said. "We appreciate the years of support from local families, and we are glad we were able to provide this activity for so long; however, it was time to reassess costs and our ability to manage the event, and the decision was to put it to rest. We hope that families who looked forward to Holiday Magic will join us as we initiate the new tradition."

For more information, contact the UNM-Gallup Public Affairs Office at (505) 863-7565 or 863-7687.