West Texas A&M University flipped the switch on nearly 200,000 twinkling lights during its annual Festival of Lights on Dec. 3, drawing students, families and Canyon residents to campus to kick off the Christmas season.
According to WT officials, almost 200,000 bulbs illuminate campus — a 150 percent increase over the past four years — wrapped around trees and shrubbery from 26th Avenue to the Pedestrian Mall. The towering American elms, the Freedom Tree and the Staff Memorial Tree are illuminated, along with new color-changing lights on the Pedestrian Mall and the north side of Old Main. Color-changing Edison bulbs glow around the “Original Texans” buffalo sculpture and fountain.
The evening featured music, appearances by Bucky the WT mascot and Santa Claus, and cookies, hot chocolate and cider for guests.
WT President Walter Wendler told the crowd the holidays offer a moment to reflect on gratitude, connection and shared purpose.
“Christmas is an opportunity to reflect on the love, hope and joy that shape how we live together in the world,” Wendler said. “As a father, the holidays are filled with expectations and a sense of belonging — a chance to connect with family and friends and to be thankful by celebrating together.”
He said the event also serves as a transition point for the university ahead of finals and winter break.
“As a university, tonight gives us a chance to end the semester with festivities and send students home as ambassadors from here,” he said. “The place where we live matters, and so do the people who share it. I hope you embrace WT as your university.”
Wendler on tradition, students and community
After the ceremony, Wendler said the Festival of Lights remains one of WT’s most meaningful traditions because of its origins and endurance.
“It was the Residence Hall Association that started this,” he said. “I love that it came from students. And the fact that it’s lasted more than 30 years says something powerful about the identity of this place.”
He said the event reinforces WT’s culture and the character of the Panhandle.
“This festival is simple, but it communicates something important,” Wendler said. “It’s about community. It’s about sharing space. It’s about recognizing that traditions matter in forming who we are as a campus and who we are as a community.”
For many students, he added, the celebration brings a sense of home during a busy and emotional time of year.
“We have a lot of students who come from small towns and rural areas,” Wendler said. “Being able to recreate a little of that feeling here matters. It helps students feel like they belong, and that belonging helps them succeed.”
Wendler said the partnership with Canyon is also a key part of the festival’s longevity.
“There are always challenges, but the relationship is strong,” he said. “Events like this remind us how much we depend on one another.”
He closed his remarks by thanking staff, faculty and students.
“Merry Christmas to all, and thank you for what you do to make WT a place where students graduate and succeed,” Wendler said.
Mayor Hinders: ‘Celebration is better when you do it together’
Canyon Mayor and WT alumnus Gary Hinders followed Wendler, quoting Scripture and reflecting on the season.
“We celebrate tonight,” Hinders said. “I love this season when our community comes together. My wife, Linda, and I are both proud Buffaloes. We love this place.”
Later, Hinders said the Festival of Lights has become the unofficial start of Canyon’s holiday season.
“It’s wonderful to have the university kick off the season,” he said. “Canyon takes pride in WT, and WT takes pride in Canyon. This event shows that.”
‘Moments like that are why people fall in love with this campus’
Nic McCullough, residence life coordinator and representative of the WT Residence Hall Association, reminded attendees that the tradition began in 1990 as a student-led initiative.
“What you’re seeing tonight is a testament to how this celebration has grown and become an important part of the holiday season at WT and here in Canyon,” McCullough said.
He said the festival resonates deeply with students, especially those new to WT.
“Every year I see first-year students come out not knowing what to expect, and then I see them smiling under the lights,” McCullough said. “Moments like that are why people fall in love with this campus.”
He said the event also captures the spirit of the region.
“There’s so much about this area that makes this time of year special — the cool nights, the wide-open skies, the bright stars,” McCullough said. “This tradition fits right into that.”
Lighting moment and Santa’s arrival
The WT Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Sean Pullen, led the crowd in holiday music as the countdown began. Moments later, Old Main, the Pedestrian Mall and the buffalo fountain lit up in thousands of bulbs.
Just after the lights came on, Santa Claus stepped down from a Canyon Fire Department truck and made his way toward the crowd. He was immediately met by a young child who rushed forward to hug him as he walked up the pathway, drawing cheers and smiles from families gathered nearby.
Wendler said the tradition’s endurance reflects both WT and Canyon.
“It says something important about our students and our community that this started with RHA and has kept growing,” he said. “We’re thankful for our relationship with Canyon and for the chance to begin the Christmas season together on this campus.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT lights up campus with 200,000 bulbs at annual Festival of Lights
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
