As finals have begun to rain down on the students of Western Carolina, Chancellor Kelli Brown and her husband Dennis Brown spread some Christmas cheer by hosting WCU’s 4th annual Holidays on the Plaza festival.
For a night of seasonal celebration the evening of Dec. 5, dozens of students gathered around the main square of campus to celebrate the season and count down to the lighting of the clock tower. The event provided an array of activities ranging from games, photo ops, and snacks for visitors to enjoy.
“I would say my favorite part of the festival was the Build a Buddy,” sophomore Kaelyn Calloways said.
Characters such as Santa Clause, Santa Paws, and the Grinch strolled through the festival, pausing to chat and pose for pictures with students and visitors.
Bundled in their warmest clothes, the residents of Western Carolina University gathered around the clock tower as the lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. neared. Members of WCU’s marching band provided the crowd with live music from just below the tower, and as the time approached, Mr. Brown led the school in a countdown to the infamous lighting of the clock tower.
However, Brown hushed the crowd after counting down a few numbers.
“Hold on, something’s wrong. We’re missing something. You know what we’re missing? Snow!” Brown exclaimed to the crowd. Moments later, snow machines up above sprayed snow down onto the crowd, and the counting resumed.
“The fourth annual Holidays on the Plaza was the best yet! The event was spectacular with music, fun, treats, and lots of Holiday cheer,” WCU Director of Special Events, Christy Ashe, wrote in an email.
