Lights, Christmas carolers, reindeer and horse-drawn wagon rides are just a few of the sights offered tonight in central campus as part of the annual Festival of Lights.

The 54th Annual Festival of Lights will begin at 5 tonight with a short pre-lighting concert by carillonneur Tin-shi Tam. Tam will also play after the celebration, and the Campanile will be open to the public for tours.

The lighting ceremony will begin at 5:15 p.m. on the steps of Beardshear Hall, where cookies and hot chocolate will be served. The lighting ceremony will include singing by the Oratorio Chorus, a short statement by Interim President Richard Seagrave and then the lighting of thousands of lights that will illuminate the campus throughout the holiday season.

“The Festival of Lights is a great and fun-filled opportunity for the university family and the Ames community to come together to celebrate the holiday season together,” said Glenda McIntire, administrative specialist for University Relations.

The University Book Store, the Farmhouse Museum, the Palmer Building Child Development Laboratory School and the Campanile will hold open houses. Over 700 luminaries will line the sidewalks of central campus to lead spectators to the open houses.

Connecting the celebration with this year’s university theme, “Strengthening Families to Become the Best,” many family activities are included in the celebration. Parents and children will be treated to cider and holiday goodies at the Palmer Building open house and will be entertained by clowns.

The book store will host a story time for children, horse-drawn wagons will give rides around central campus and Christmas carolers will stroll through the open houses and central campus. ÿ

The ISU Opera Studio and the ISU Symphony will present “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 6:30 p.m. in the Tye Recital Hall. The holiday opera is a story of miracles, redemption and sacrifice which follows a crippled boy and his mother who meet the three kings on their search for the Christ child. The sold-out show also will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Horticulture Club will sell poinsettias in front of the bookstore, beginning at 10 a.m. through the open house. The sale will continue Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the ground floors of the Memorial Union and Curtiss Hall. “Students, faculty and the community can buy poinsettias as gifts or to decorate their room for the holiday,” said Heather Ward, freshman in horticulture.