65th Festival of Lessons & Carols to ring in holiday season at Elmhurst University

Each year, the annual Elmhurst University Festival of Lessons & Carols brings together the campus and community to usher in a new holiday season. This year’s festival on Friday, Dec. 4, will mark the 65th anniversary of this joyous spiritual tradition.

Held on the Elmhurst University campus since 1961, the Festival of Lessons & Carols bridges the season of Advent and Christmastide with nine Scriptural readings that tell the story of the birth of the Messiah. The university choirs perform time-honored songs to accompany each reading and set the holiday mood.

The two Lessons & Carols services will be at 4 and 7 p.m. in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Doors open half an hour before each start time.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the 7 p.m. service will be livestreamed on the university’s YouTube channel. The event is free and all are welcome. For information, email marketing@elmhurst.edu.

The rich, diverse cultural programming at Elmhurst University, which includes concerts, public lectures, art exhibitions, theater performances and more, supports community engagement and lifelong learning.

Visit elmhurst.edu.