Light fest goes on, albeit a bit late

To Cary resident Carolyn Smallwood, it just didn't feel like Christmas without the Patriot Meadows subdivision's annual luminaria lighting ceremony, now in its 17th year.

This year, for the first time, organizers postponed the candle-lighting event due to subzero temperatures and strong winds and held it Sunday - it is typically scheduled the Sunday before Christmas as a prelude to the holiday.

Without it being held on its normal day, something didn't seem right in the neighborhood, Smallwood said.

"It's like putting up your Christmas tree," said Smallwood, who this year helped coordinate the event and has lived in the subdivision for 11 years. "When you don't do it, I feel like I haven't quite done Christmas entirely."

This year, 26 six houses on Spruce Tree Drive and four others on Claire Lane were involved.

Each household contributed $18 to buy 1,500 white paper bags and candles, as well as the sand that goes into the bags to anchor them.

Once lit, they cast a cheerful glow all over the streets, burning almost as brightly as the nearby Christmas lights.

"It's beautiful; it'll take your breath away coming down our street," said resident Laurie Jenner, who has lived in the subdivision for 17 years. "It gives everyone a reason to come out and say hello to your neighbor - it's our winter version of our block party."

Each homeowner receives a certain amount of bags - for example, resident Pete Gray got 38 bags and candles - and puts them together.

The candles were expected to burn all night and into the morning.

Gray has lived in Patriot Meadows for three years and says he and his family have never missed the tradition and that he looks forward to "the get together with the neighborhood and the fellowship."

Even with Sunday's 26 degree temperatures, he and his daughter Margaret, 14, were eager to be outside lighting and setting the candles on both sides of the driveway and in the street right by the curb.

After lighting the candles, neighbors gathered inside the heated garage of Debbie and Mike Unti for a potluck dinner to chat, sip on coffee and cocoa and nosh on homemade food stuffs.

As well, people brought nonperishable items for the Cary-Grove Food Pantry.

"I think it's wonderful to get the neighbors together," Debbie Unti said as she finished setting up her garage for her guests. "Even though it is after Christmas, we're still welcoming the Christ child."