The Texas Tech Office of Campus Events is making the 67th Carol of Lights shine brighter than past years.

Since the start of the tradition in 1959, the Residence Halls Association has worked with the university to produce the ceremony, according to University Student Housing.

However, production leadership switched hands to senior executive director of university events, Blayne Beal in 2023. Beal said the change allows for increased production capacity through higher funding.

“We’re here to make Carol of Lights an even bigger production than before,” Beal said. “RHA is still involved, but we’re able to take on the logistics and cost they couldn’t.”

The OCE was established in 2024. Beal said it allows for production of larger university events like Homecoming and commencement to have higher budgets and easier planning by going through the Office of the President.

While the OCE wasn’t active in 2023, Beal said he took over production that year due to Carol of Lights being part of the university’s Centennial celebration, which allowed him to kickstart the new era for the holiday tradition.

“That year’s (2023) Carol of Lights was part of our Centennial celebration, and it was the biggest one we had ever done,” Beal said. “We were able to bring outside performers and video elements that upped production which we continued with the following year.”

New changes for Carol of Lights, Beal said are about presentation included adding an electronic screen, inviting outside artists for live music, increased lighting and fireworks, which will continue in the 2025 ceremony and beyond.

“This event has a lot of people coming to this event, so we have a lot of mass appeal,” Beal said. “The budget has definitely increased from previous years, and we show that.”

Beal said, the reason for the change in presentation was to offer a greater experience for those attending and for Tech to open its doors not just to the university but to Lubbock and the wider West Texas community/

“What is great about this event is that it has all types of people looking at Texas Tech,” Beal said. “Our community makes this show special, and we want to provide a great show for them.”

Fourth-year history major from Katy and RHA president Mary Shaw Davis said RHA isn’t taking a step back but instead turning its focus toward other parts of the program.

“We still help with posters, marketing and creating the tagline,” Davis said. “But we aren’t taking a backseat but instead turning our attention to events like the Carol of Lights Banquet.”

While no longer involved with the ceremony, Davis said not having to host has taken some weight off RHA members’ shoulders. Davis said she is glad that the OCE can put on a show RHA couldn’t.

“It definitely feels like the pressure is off,” Davis said. “I’m glad they (OCE) can do it when we don’t have the budget to do it.”

Davis said despite the changes to Carol of Lights, the best way for students to support the ceremony and RHA is to show up/

“This show is for you (students), and showing up justifies the cost,” Davis said. “The show has improved because of the support for it (Carol of Lights).”

The Carol of Lights ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Science Quadrangle.