Dillsboro adds night to annual Luminaire

At the request of Western Carolina University, Dillsboro has added a fifth night of lights, music and shopping. This weekend's festivities will be limited to Saturday night; the event will continue Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, and Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15.

Local musician Josh Bulla will begin the evening by parading through town playing the bagpipes. Stores will stay open late and serve a variety of refreshments to share in the Christmas spirit with shoppers.

Parking will be plentiful with the addition of Lyle Clark's large lot behind Dillsboro Supply, an event organizer said.

For those who want to get out of the winter weather and warm up with hot chocolate and cider and listen to Christmas music, Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church will open their basement each night of the Luminaire.

Music this Saturday will include Bulla on bagpipes, the Fairview Elementary Chorus, Scotts Creek Baptist Church's Shining Lights children's choir and adult choir, the Fiddling Dills Sisters, Andy Latorre with an automatic glockenspiele and the Willing Servants gospel group. Great Smoky Mountain Railroad will also introduce its new calliope.

Dillsboro's Luminaire has been a village tradition since 1984 when merchants lined the streets with luminaries for one night only. Organizers expanded the event to two nights the following year and added a second weekend several years ago as the Christmas festival gained in popularity.

"Come and join us," said a spokesman for the Dillsboro Merchants Association, which sponsors the annual event. "The town of Dillsboro is ready to share in the Christmas spirit."

Back to Archive: 11/29/01.