The Ohio State athletic band spreading holiday cheer at a past Buckeye Lights event. Credit: Courtesy of Becca Young
The Ohio State Alumni Association is hosting its third annual Buckeye Conservatory Aglow event at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The event will offer a tour of the elaborate lights that illuminate the conservatory’s interior and exterior garden spaces. Guests can stroll through a penguin village display as well as a life-sized Candyland board game, according to the Conservatory’s website.
The Buckeye Lights event has quickly become an honored university tradition, blending the magic of the holidays with Ohio State pride. The OSUAA has partnered with the conservatory for the past few years, encouraging those in central Ohio and surrounding towns to enjoy a night with past and current Buckeyes, Drew Factor, OSUAA strategy developer, said in an email.
“We programmed this event to continue our great collaboration with Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a legendary Central Ohio Institution,” Factor said. “They do amazing, inspiring work, including their annual Conservatory Aglow installation, and we wanted to bring some of that holiday magic to our Buckeye community.”
This event offers current students the opportunity to connect with alumni and get a grasp of what it means to continue to celebrate their Ohio State roots, Schafer said.
“This is a great opportunity for students to attend this amazing event alongside alumni, seeing alumni and other Buckeye community members enjoying their time and imagining their future status as an alum,” Factor said.
Schafer said Franklin Park Conservatory has consistently kept OSUAA students, faculty and supporters fulfilled with their joint holiday events.
This includes a collaboration for an OSUAA Pumpkins Aglow event, an event at the conservatory that features live entertainment and a glass pumpkin patch, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
“I love seeing the Buckeyes come together! Everyone is so pleasant and happy to be there,” Schafer said. “I hope they walk away with a feeling of Buckeye pride and have experienced some holiday joy.”
Factor said these seasonal events offer activities that can build connections between alumni, students and the broader community, allowing those to see the conservatory lit up in scarlet and gray while sharing holiday traditions.
When asked what’s most rewarding about leading this event, he said: “For me, seeing the joy our community members experience while attending these events, families and groups of all sorts, enjoying the lights and sights, as well as Buckeye camaraderie.”
Tickets can be purchased online and are free for children 2 and under, $12 for children ages 3 to 12, $18 for adults 13 to 59 and $15 for seniors 60 and older. Schafer said she encourages participants to purchase tickets in advance as they are limited and have sold out in the past.
