Annabella Nisbet, 4, Warsaw, got to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas after his flashy arrival on a firetruck. Photo by Keith Knepp.

By Caleigh Byrer
InkFreeNews

LEESBURG — The town of Leesburg will be illuminating their streets for the annual Candelaria and Christmas party event 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Bring out the kids to see Santa, who will coming to town at 6 p.m. There will be cookies and refreshments such as coffee and hot chocolate at the old firehouse in downtown Leesburg.

There are anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 luminaries — paper lanterns — lining the streets for this event each year. This year, volunteers from Leesburg Mighty Farmers 4-H Club and one of the Boy Scout troops will be helping put together and light the luminaries. Christina Archer, who has spearheaded the event for a number of years, expressed a lot of gratitude for the volunteers.

“None of this would be possible without the volunteers or the encouragement and help from the community. It is so nice to be able to carry on the tradition for our small town,” Archer stated.

The volunteers will be working on the luminaries through the week and will arrive at 4:30 p.m. the day of the event to start setting them up and lighting them.

Mike Beezley and Mike Todd provided Christmas-themed live music at last year’s Christmas party. Photo by Keith Knepp.

The tradition is carried on by the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to setting it up, local businesses who help financially support the event and those who continue to come out to enjoy it.

Share the joy of the holiday season at the Candelaria, an event for the community, made by the community.