San Juan College hosts 42nd annual luminaria display, volunteers lit candles

AZTEC — San Juan College's 42nd annual luminaria display featured more than 10,000 luminarias.

Volunteers headed out at 3 p.m. Dec. 5 to light the candles inside the luminaria bags prior to the drive-thru event starting at 6 p.m.

This year's luminaria display looked a bit different than previous years. In the past, people have had the choice of driving through to view the display or parking and walking through the campus where they could get hot chocolate or look through telescopes.

But because COVID-19 meant this year's showing was only a drive-thru event, parts of campus that have had luminarias in the past did not have any this year. The luminarias were only set up along the driving route.

That also meant fewer luminarias were lit. In the past, the display has had 20,000 luminarias in addition to 10,000 electric ones.

Volunteers were given masks and gloves and sent to different parts of campus. They remained in groups that were from the same household to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652 or via email at hgrover@daily-times.com.

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