Lanterns. Photo courtesy of Hollywood/Santa Monica Neighborhood Association via Facebook.
Neighbors in Hollywood/Santa Monica are getting together for their first annual luminaria event this weekend.
On Dec. 18 around dusk, they’ll place paper lanterns called luminarias on the sidewalks around their homes. Neighbors are invited to walk from house to house, paths guided by the lanterns’ light, to socialize and spread holiday cheer.
The idea came from Janet Stegner, who used to love helping out with luminaria events in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, when she was growing up.
When she moved to Hollywood/Santa Monica, she says she knew it would be the perfect neighborhood to do this kind of activity. Since other fundraisers were canceled because of the pandemic, an outdoor luminaria event seemed like a great alternative.
The fundraising event sponsor, Joe Kacynski Realtor, hired someone to fly a drone over the area to take videos during the event.
Stegner says depending on how the luminarias are placed around a property, they can highlight the architectural features of the 1920s-era homes common in the neighborhood.
About 741 kits have been sold, and around 200 homeowners plan to participate. The kits include paper bags, candles and a bag of sand to weigh down the luminarias. Some have signed up to work sidewalk stations, where there will be hot cocoa, cider, paper snowflakes, s’mores, cookies and more.
In the future, Stegner says she hopes more neighbors will get involved in the holiday event.
