ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – For many people in Rock Hill, the holiday season starts when festive lights are turned on along Oakland Avenue on the Winthrop University campus.
The Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council will host the 89th Annual Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of Tillman Hall.
Helping celebrate the beginning of the season at this special event will be performances by the Winthrop RockHettes, Chorale and Collegiate Choir, followed by a countdown to the main attraction: the lighting of the flagpole at the new fountain plaza. Yes, that’s correct, the flagpole!
This year’s lighting will look different in order to ensure the historic Southern Magnolia continues to thrive for years to come. Lights can no longer be affixed to the magnolia tree so the flagpole will be lit in the shape of a Christmas tree to celebrate the season.
The annual ceremony has a long tradition at Winthrop, dating back to 1935. The event attracts many community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students,
The Student Alumni Council will sell luminaries for $5 before the tree lighting to add to the holiday glow around Tillman. Proceeds from the luminaries will support the Winthrop Fund.
After the tree lighting, attendees can then turn their attention to Rock Hill’s Christmas Parade, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. along Oakland Avenue in front of the university.
If you can’t attend the tree lighting, you can tune in to the Alumni Association’s Facebook Live stream of the event.
For more information, please contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2236 or e-mail longshawj@winthrop.edu.
