FAQ
Use our frequently asked questions section to learn about general event information, student and employee information and self-guided campus tours.
General Event Information
Do
- Bring your family and friends to Light the Way
- Wash hands and mask up to your comfort level
- Enjoy UIW grounds and public spaces
- Bring funds for food trucks and shopping. Vendors and food trucks accept major credit cards.
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Wear outwear according to the weather forecast
- Bring a camera and take pictures, and use hashtag #LightTheWay and tag @uiwcardinals
Do not
- Bring large bags or purses
- Bring a scooter unless it is an ADA scooter
- Bring your pets (service animals are permitted)
- Ignore any symptoms of illness. Please stay home if you feel sick and we will see you on our Livestream.
- Walk past barricades
- Enter unauthorized UIW buildings
- Climb the trees, landscaping or architecture
- Smoke or vape on campus
- Act in a manner contrary to the spirit and mission of the University of the Incarnate Word
Yes, this event is free and open to the public! All are welcome to join us in kicking off the Christmas season.
Event parking is available on a first come basis in the Ancira and Founders Hall Parking Garages. Spaces are limited and ride sharing is encouraged, with the drop off point being the Founders Hall complex please.
Yes, portable restrooms will be available at two locations adjacent to the Administration and Theater buildings on the grounds. There will also be two baby changing stations at these locations.
Yes, food trucks with delicious food options will be on site.
Coolers will not be permitted as we have delicious food and drink offerings at the festival.
Only in the alumni section will alcohol be permitted, and guests may not bring outside drinks or food onto campus.
Pets are not allowed on the grounds during Light the Way. However, service animals are permitted.
Campus buildings that are not part of the Light the Way Holiday Festival will not be accessible to guests. The first floor and ballroom of the Student Engagement Center are accessible for guests enjoying the Shoppers Bazaar, but other floors and areas of the SEC are off limits. Please refrain from entering campus buildings without permission.
Our alumni are invited to the Alumni Exclusive area (located on the Dubuis Lawn), be sure to RSVP!
Guests are invited to masks according to their comfort level. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the event at various locations. All campus buildings will be closed and inaccessible. For the safety of others, stay home if you feel ill and experience the lights as a drive-through guest anytime between Nov. 19 through Jan. 6.
Student and Employee Information
Students and employees can park complimentary at the Founders Hall parking lot and garage or the Alonso Ancira Tower Parking Garage. Please bring your UIW ID or business card to show the security team at the entrance. If you have questions, please email pr@uiwtx.edu.
The dining hall will be operating normally for students.
Students and employees may not park in any surface lot (Burr, Davis Court, Fine Arts, Hildebrand, Nursing, Riverside, Clement, Dubuis, Convocation, Natatorium or ICC) on campus from Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 18, at 11 p.m. Cars in these areas will be towed on Saturday morning.
UIW expects thousands of guests and heavy foot traffic at this event. Residents may park in their designated parking garages with a valid parking permit. However, traffic will be closed on the lower campus from Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 18, at 10 p.m. For this reason, all student residents are encouraged to park in upper campus garages (Ancira and McCombs).
Vehicles in the Agnese Sosa Parking Garage will not be able to leave from Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 18, at 10 p.m. Residents on the upper campus can leave by the Hildebrand and 281 exit during the event. We strongly encourage residents to make arrangements to minimize the need to travel to and from campus during this event. Please be aware there will be longer wait times to enter and exit campus.
Open vehicle access to campus will remain available until Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. At promptly 10 p.m. Friday, all entrances and exits to campus will be closed. The only entrance/exit available will be the 281 access road entrance and the Hildebrand/281 exit. Thru traffic will be closed on the lower campus from Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 18, at 10 p.m.
Students and employees may not park in any surface lot (Burr, Davis Court, Fine Arts, Hildebrand, Nursing, Riverside, Clement, Dubuis, Convocation, Natatorium or ICC) on campus from Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 18, at 11 p.m. Cars in these areas will be towed on Saturday morning.
Self-guided campus tours
The lights turn on at dusk from Nov. 18, 2023, through Jan. 6, 2024.
Yes, you can do a self-guided tour from Nov. 18, 2023, through Jan. 6, 2024