FAQs
7th Annual Red Hill Luminary Night!
The holiday season is quickly approaching and we are so excited for our 7th Annual Luminary Night!
What is a luminary?
A luminary is a special white paper bag that holds a small candle. The bag is weighted by sand. The luminaries are placed about 10 feet apart along streets connecting homes throughout the neighborhood. Towns and communities all over the United States have had an annual tradition of luminaries for decades.
What is luminary night?
It's a special night when our neighborhood comes together to celebrate community. Homes throughout the neighborhood light luminaries and place them on the street, along the curb to connect neighbor-to-neighbor and street-to-street. We have 20 streets that make up our neighborhood with approx 415 homes! Can you imagine approx 4,000 luminaries lighting up our streets?! Magical!
It is also an opportunity for us to come together and give back as a community. In addition to pre-ordering your luminaries, we have also set up a donation page to give to a local charity in our community to help brighten their day during the holiday season. Donations are completely optional and separate from the cost of the luminary kits.
Is luminary night associated with a religious celebration?
Luminary night is not associated with any religion or denomination. Rather, it is a celebration of our great community and a fun event during the winter and holiday season.
What streets are involved?
The ENTIRE Red Hill Neighborhood of Warren! That includes the following:
Red Hill Rd, Stardust Dr, Milky Way, Wilderness Trail, Quill Pen Way, Stockade Rd, Kenquit Rd, Old Forge Dr, Spring House Rd,
Spencer Ln, Flintlock Dr, Olsen Dr, Morton Ln, Debby Ln, Robin Rd, Fox Hill Dr, Meadow Dr, Larson Ln, Gregory Ln, Sunrise Dr
Is this a fire hazard?
Luminaries are used all over the United States, in fact, all over the world. While basic precautions should be taken, such as clearing leaves and ensuring the bag contains sand weight, luminaries have a history of being safe. In addition, both the police department and fire department are aware of our plans to hold this event.
Who is in charge? How do I get involved?
This is strictly a volunteer event. I, Devin Almonte, have seen this so beautifully put together in many neighborhoods and I would love to see us continue this great tradition! So, I guess you could say I am the Event Coordinator! But it takes many volunteers to make this a huge success. There are several volunteer opportunities avail. Click here for volunteer job descriptions.
Do I need to get the supplies (luminary kits) on my own?
No, but if you prefer to order yourself, you can do so. The benefits of placing one large order with the neighborhood is that we can receive a bulk discount. We give back by placing a bulk order with our local town hardware store, Warrenville Hardware. Supply pick-up dates will also be set and determined. Orders can be placed here online or by check.
How many kits do I need?
One luminary kit comes with 1 bag, 1 candle, and about 3/4 lbs of sand for 1 bag. Please measure the size of your lot by the street curb to see how many kits you will need. Luminaries should be placed about every 10 feet along your curb. Participating families line the street in front of their house and if desired, their driveways and walkways too! Determining how many luminary kits you will need is totally up to you.
Is there an easy way to measure so I get an accurate count?
As a general guide, walk the curb area you'd like to illuminate and measure by your footsteps about 10 feet apart.
Is the process the same this year as it was last year?
Due to COVID-19, we have changed this year's luminary planning to adhere to NJ's COVID-19 gathering guidelines.
Luminary Planning will look a little different this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. We will no longer have neighborhood volunteers helping out during the afternoon of Luminary Night, nor will we have a scheduled order pick-up time on Saturday, December 12th.
2020 Candle and Bag Pick-Up
2020 Sand Pick-Up
Show Time
Warren Township Rescue Squad
These measures have been put in place as preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, there is no guarantee that you or your child(ren) will not become infected with COVID-19. By participating in this community event, you are acknowledging an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present and do so at your own discretion. In addition, we ask that you adhere to the COVID-19 gathering guidelines for the state of NJ.
What if we're going to be away on luminary night, but want to still participate?
Please ask a neighbor to set out the luminaries along your curb to connect the chain of lights. If you have trouble finding someone to assist, please contact us.
What if I'm elderly and need assistance?
Please consider asking a neighbor to help set up, light, and clean up your luminaries. If you have trouble finding someone to assist, please contact us.
What if it rains on luminary night?
There is a rain date set for Saturday, December 19, 2020. We hope not to use it! Check this website's home page in the afternoon of the luminary night for information on rescheduling in the case of bad weather.
What is the history of the luminaries?
The original luminaria was a series of small bonfires lining the roads. Luminarias are associated throughout history to ancient traditions of communicating and celebrating through connected bonfires. In the early 1800's, US settlers in the Southwest brought beautiful Chinese lanterns to hang from their doorways instead of building bonfires. But the Chinese lanterns were too fragile. In the 1820’s, when Yankee traders brought brown paper sacks down the Santa Fe Trail people began to make small paper lanterns out of paper sacks as an alternative to bonfires. Today they are used to line sidewalks, driveways and walkways as a way as a way to be open and welcoming to neighbors and community.
Do you need sponsors for the event?
We welcome sponsors for our luminary event. Click here for more info.
We also encourage our Red Hill neighbors to tell us about their business if they would like to get the word out and about the neighborhood. With proof of address, we are more than happy to share your business information on the Luminary website for free. Email us.
A luminary is a special white paper bag that holds a small candle. The bag is weighted by sand. The luminaries are placed about 10 feet apart along streets connecting homes throughout the neighborhood. Towns and communities all over the United States have had an annual tradition of luminaries for decades.
What is luminary night?
It's a special night when our neighborhood comes together to celebrate community. Homes throughout the neighborhood light luminaries and place them on the street, along the curb to connect neighbor-to-neighbor and street-to-street. We have 20 streets that make up our neighborhood with approx 415 homes! Can you imagine approx 4,000 luminaries lighting up our streets?! Magical!
It is also an opportunity for us to come together and give back as a community. In addition to pre-ordering your luminaries, we have also set up a donation page to give to a local charity in our community to help brighten their day during the holiday season. Donations are completely optional and separate from the cost of the luminary kits.
Is luminary night associated with a religious celebration?
Luminary night is not associated with any religion or denomination. Rather, it is a celebration of our great community and a fun event during the winter and holiday season.
What streets are involved?
The ENTIRE Red Hill Neighborhood of Warren! That includes the following:
Red Hill Rd, Stardust Dr, Milky Way, Wilderness Trail, Quill Pen Way, Stockade Rd, Kenquit Rd, Old Forge Dr, Spring House Rd,
Spencer Ln, Flintlock Dr, Olsen Dr, Morton Ln, Debby Ln, Robin Rd, Fox Hill Dr, Meadow Dr, Larson Ln, Gregory Ln, Sunrise Dr
Is this a fire hazard?
Luminaries are used all over the United States, in fact, all over the world. While basic precautions should be taken, such as clearing leaves and ensuring the bag contains sand weight, luminaries have a history of being safe. In addition, both the police department and fire department are aware of our plans to hold this event.
Who is in charge? How do I get involved?
This is strictly a volunteer event. I, Devin Almonte, have seen this so beautifully put together in many neighborhoods and I would love to see us continue this great tradition! So, I guess you could say I am the Event Coordinator! But it takes many volunteers to make this a huge success. There are several volunteer opportunities avail. Click here for volunteer job descriptions.
Do I need to get the supplies (luminary kits) on my own?
No, but if you prefer to order yourself, you can do so. The benefits of placing one large order with the neighborhood is that we can receive a bulk discount. We give back by placing a bulk order with our local town hardware store, Warrenville Hardware. Supply pick-up dates will also be set and determined. Orders can be placed here online or by check.
How many kits do I need?
One luminary kit comes with 1 bag, 1 candle, and about 3/4 lbs of sand for 1 bag. Please measure the size of your lot by the street curb to see how many kits you will need. Luminaries should be placed about every 10 feet along your curb. Participating families line the street in front of their house and if desired, their driveways and walkways too! Determining how many luminary kits you will need is totally up to you.
Is there an easy way to measure so I get an accurate count?
As a general guide, walk the curb area you'd like to illuminate and measure by your footsteps about 10 feet apart.
Is the process the same this year as it was last year?
Due to COVID-19, we have changed this year's luminary planning to adhere to NJ's COVID-19 gathering guidelines.
Luminary Planning will look a little different this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. We will no longer have neighborhood volunteers helping out during the afternoon of Luminary Night, nor will we have a scheduled order pick-up time on Saturday, December 12th.
2020 Candle and Bag Pick-Up
- All candles and bags are to be picked up during the weeks leading up to Luminary Night, according to various, scheduled timeslots that we will designate and email out to households.
- Candle and bag pick-up will be self-serve. Each household is responsible for collecting the appropriate number of candles and bags according to their order.
2020 Sand Pick-Up
- Sand pick-up will begin on Monday, December 7, 2020 and end on Saturday, December 12th. All households are responsible for scooping their own sand into a separate container/bucket. You will need approx 1.5 lbs of sand for each luminary bag.
Show Time
- All households need to make sure their bags are fully assembled along the curb (away from leaves and debris) and ready for Luminary Night by 5:30pm.
Warren Township Rescue Squad
- This year, we've added the Warren Township Rescue Squad to our list of donations.
These measures have been put in place as preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, there is no guarantee that you or your child(ren) will not become infected with COVID-19. By participating in this community event, you are acknowledging an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present and do so at your own discretion. In addition, we ask that you adhere to the COVID-19 gathering guidelines for the state of NJ.
What if we're going to be away on luminary night, but want to still participate?
Please ask a neighbor to set out the luminaries along your curb to connect the chain of lights. If you have trouble finding someone to assist, please contact us.
What if I'm elderly and need assistance?
Please consider asking a neighbor to help set up, light, and clean up your luminaries. If you have trouble finding someone to assist, please contact us.
What if it rains on luminary night?
There is a rain date set for Saturday, December 19, 2020. We hope not to use it! Check this website's home page in the afternoon of the luminary night for information on rescheduling in the case of bad weather.
What is the history of the luminaries?
The original luminaria was a series of small bonfires lining the roads. Luminarias are associated throughout history to ancient traditions of communicating and celebrating through connected bonfires. In the early 1800's, US settlers in the Southwest brought beautiful Chinese lanterns to hang from their doorways instead of building bonfires. But the Chinese lanterns were too fragile. In the 1820’s, when Yankee traders brought brown paper sacks down the Santa Fe Trail people began to make small paper lanterns out of paper sacks as an alternative to bonfires. Today they are used to line sidewalks, driveways and walkways as a way as a way to be open and welcoming to neighbors and community.
Do you need sponsors for the event?
We welcome sponsors for our luminary event. Click here for more info.
We also encourage our Red Hill neighbors to tell us about their business if they would like to get the word out and about the neighborhood. With proof of address, we are more than happy to share your business information on the Luminary website for free. Email us.