Winthrop to Kick Off the Holiday Season with 90th Annual Tree Lighting (11/06/25)

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council will host the 90th Annual Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of Tillman Hall.

• The annual event will feature performances by the Winthrop RockHettes and the Winthrop Chorale and Collegiate Choir.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Oakland Avenue will take on a colorful look in early December as holiday lights are turned on at the Winthrop University campus.

The Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council will host the 90th Annual Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of Tillman Hall.

The annual event will feature performances by the Winthrop RockHettes and the Winthrop Chorale and Collegiate Choir. The event ends with a countdown to the main attraction: the lighting of the flagpole at the fountain plaza.

The Alumni Association has pivoted to lighting the flag pole in the shape of a Christmas tree, instead of the Southern Magnolia tree, to ensure the historic magnolia continues to thrive for years to come.

The annual ceremony has a long tradition at Winthrop dating back to 1935. The event attracts many community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students who are typically bundled up for the chilly temperatures.

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 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 in person, 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 [email protected]