The fifth annual “Lighting of the Holiday Gator” will take place on the lawn of the University Auditorium on Thursday.

The UF event will run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. near the corner of Newell Drive and Union Road in Gainesville. Students, faculty, staff, families and friends are invited.

The annual celebration, created by UF College of the Arts alumna Leslie Tharp in 2019, features the Holiday Gator – a large, forged steel alligator sculpture that is placed on the lawn to celebrate the holiday season.

Interim UF President Kent Fuchs will welcome guests and lead the countdown to the ceremonial lighting of the sculpture, which will glow with blue and orange LED lights until Dec. 23. 

 “The ‘Lighting of the Holiday Gator’ is a fun way to celebrate the start of the holiday season, with lights, music, cookies, cocoa and other treats to be enjoyed by everyone in the UF community and their families and friends,” said Fuchs in a press release.

This year’s festivities will feature holiday treats along with hot chocolate and apple cider. There will also be performances by members of three UF student groups: the Gator Marching Band, the UF Sunshine Steelers and the UF Concert Choir.