The Soval Series’ Holiday Lights event featuring a light show, s’mores, live reindeer and an appearance by Santa Claus will kick off the holiday season Wednesday.
Previously hosted at Burr Park, the lights have been moved to the South Oval as a part of the Soval Series which hosted the Beat Bevo Bash — a kickoff event before the annual Red River Rivalry — and Showtime on the Soval featuring country duo Dan + Shay earlier this semester.
The Holiday Lights event will also feature food trucks and a Fill the Trolley toy drive supporting the Christmas Store of Cleveland County. The light show will be projected onto the Bizzell Memorial Library and will continue nightly throughout the holiday season.
“The Soval Series is designed to support students’ social and emotional development through signature experiences that encourage meaningful engagement and connection across campus. Holiday Lights exemplifies this commitment, offering students an opportunity to participate in a unifying tradition that enriches the residential and university experience,” OU Marketing and Communications wrote in an email.
According to a spokesperson for OU Marketing and Communications, preparation for the event began in the summer, which included collaboration among the Signature Experiences Committee and various departments such as the Fabrication Lab at the Tom Love Innovation Hub.
Fabrication Lab Director Brandt Smith and his team designed foam cores to block the windows of the Great Reading Room to lessen any disruption from the light shows. They were also the creators of large, interlocking OU tree toppers that were first used two years ago for the Holiday Lights festival.
Holiday Lights will begin at 6 p.m. on the South Oval and is open to the public. The lights and laser show will be on display 6 to 9:30 p.m. each night through Dec. 24.
Madisson Cameron edited this story. Ryan Little and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
