Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith headline 2017 Lighting of the Green
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
For more than a decade the Lipscomb University community has celebrated the start of the holiday season with beloved Nashville entertainer Amy Grant and friends at the annual Lighting of the Green concert. This year’s edition is set for Tuesday, Nov. 28, at Lipscomb University.
Joining Grant this year for the 13th annual Lighting of the Green will be her friend and fellow musician Michael W. Smith. Smith has sold more than 15 million albums, scoring 32 No. 1 hits, receiving 2x RIAA Multi-Platinum, 6 Platinum and 16 Gold certified albums, earning three GRAMMYs and 45 Dove Awards.
Jordan Smith, one of the most successful artists to appear on “The Voice,” will also make a special appearance during this year’s concert. Also featured will be choirs from Lipscomb Academy and Lipscomb University.
Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and the FREE holiday concert begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Allen Arena Mall on the Lipscomb campus. Free photos with Santa are available. Food is also available for purchase at the Bennett Campus Center’s Bison Café, Chick-Fil-A, Papa John’s Pizza, Blue Coast Burrito and Starbucks; Allen Arena concession stands and Au Bon Pain bakery and sandwich shop located in the Student Activities Center. In the event of inclement weather, activities will take place as scheduled inside Lipscomb’s Allen Arena.
Each year thousands of people turn out to see Grant host the free outdoor holiday concert featuring the Lipscomb student choruses along with Grant’s musical friends. Through the past decade, the holiday concert has featured a number of popular entertainers including Brenda Lee, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Lennon & Maisy from the hit ABC show “Nashville,” Vince Gill, Danny Gokey, Nicole C. Mullen, Mandisa, Melinda Doolittle, Point of Grace, the Fisk Jubliee Singers, Buddy Greene, Ruth McGinnis, Cody Fry, Jon and Valerie Guerra, Dave’s Highway and the Annie Moses Band.
“Lighting of the Green has become a beloved tradition in Nashville, and we couldn’t have made that happen without the support and generosity of Amy Grant, who gives of her time and talent to perform and to schedule an exciting slate of artists each year,” said Walt Leaver, vice president for university relations.
Merry Marketplace, a collection of holiday vendors who donate a portion of their proceeds to benefit Associated Women for Lipscomb scholarships to Lipscomb, is also a traditional feature of Lighting of the Green festivities. The Marketplace will take place in the Allen Arena lobby and concourse beginning at 4 p.m.
The evening will conclude with the lighting of a Christmas tree in the Allen Arena Mall.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the concert. Handicap parking will be available in the Allen Arena parking garage. The event will be held rain or shine.
Want to know more? Visit lightingofthegreen.lipscomb.edu.