San Juan College Luminarias

2024 San Juan College Luminarias information coming soon! 

San Juan College celebrates its forty-sixth year of the Luminarias Display on Saturday, December 2, 2024! On this evening, guests will enjoy a glimmering array of bags shining from rooftops, along sidewalks, in courtyards, select campus parking lots, and student housing. Guests can drive or walk through the display starting at 6 p.m.

Only two entrances will be open during the 2024 event. Walkers may park in one of the following lots: Quality Center for Business (Lot #O), the School of Energy Parking lot, and the north Child and Family Development Center (Lot #P), which are accessible by traveling south on College Boulevard from Pinon Hills Boulevard.

Mary’s Kitchen will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., with hot food available for purchase until 7 p.m., and retail snacks, beverages, and hot chocolate for sale until 9 p.m.

Luminaria Drive-Thru Experience

Drivers will enter the College from Butler Avenue, traveling north on Sunrise Parkway. They will then follow the marked route through the campus and exit at College Boulevard, where traffic must turn south to 30th Street. Please note that the Pinon Hills Boulevard entrance to the College will be closed during the Luminaria display. As a courtesy, all drivers are asked to turn their headlights off as they drive through the display. Reducing light pollution during the event will ensure everyone has the most optimal luminaria experience possible.

Free Park and Ride Luminaria Experience

Guests may choose to take advantage of the Park-N-Ride Red Apple Luminarias Trolley. To access the FREE service, park at the Piedra Vista High School parking lot between 6 and 8 p.m. for a no-stress ride through the luminaria display aboard a festive Red Apple Trolley.

Christmas Music, Stargaze and Luminarias

The sounds of the season will ring campus-wide as San Juan College’s listener-supported radio station, KSJE 90.9-FM, broadcasts your favorite Christmas carols. Weather permitting, the San Juan College Planetarium will host its annual Luminaria Stargaze from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the inner courtyard near the Connie Gotsch Theatre. A telescope will be set up to view the night sky.

Luminaria Event Setup

The Office of Student Engagement and Campus Life coordinates this event with help from the San Juan College Physical Plant, students, staff, and community volunteers who set up and light the candles. The week prior, hundreds of area school children and high school students help fill paper bags with sand and candles, which are then set out by College students, staff, and volunteers.

San Juan College invites community members and groups to contribute to this annual tradition by assisting with the set-up of bags on Friday, December 1, or lighting the candles at 3 p.m. on Saturday, For further information or to volunteer, contact the San Juan College Office of Student Engagement and Campus Life at 505-566-3403.

Free Luminarias After the Event 

Did you know that you can help recycle and reuse the San Juan College luminarias? After the event, the community is welcome to visit campus on Sunday, from 2:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and collect and take home luminarias from the display. SJC will begin the clean-up and disposal of any remaining luminarias starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday, December 3.