SAN ANTONIO — Temperatures are just barely starting to cool down from the peak of summer, but dozens of volunteers are already skipping ahead to the Christmas season as they prepare for one of the San Antonio's biggest holiday celebrations.
The University of the Incarnate Word is prepping the lights to turn their campus into a winter wonderland.
But before these lights can be flipped on for the holiday season a little over two months, dozens of volunteers need to replace worn and broken bulbs on every single string of lights.
How many lights is that? Over a million!
Margaret Garcia, the vice president of university communication and brand marketing at UIW told KENS 5, "It's just like you do at home, every single strand that goes up in the trees, and there are thousands of strands of light, each one is checked by a student."
One of those students who is already in the Christmas spirit is freshman Vittoria Morales.
"We're basically switching out all the old light bulbs and switching them in for new ones so they look super bright at Light The Way," Morales said.
Along with her friends, she's been testing the lights that will go on top, inside and underneath trees all over campus.
"I love Light The Way. I went to see the lights when I was probably nine-years-old. And I didn't know I was going to come back to UIW," said Morales. "But I just love Light the Way, and I think it's a great experience for Christmas."
"We try to get everything done in September so that as soon as they're done they'll start putting these strands on the trees," Garcia said.
Since earlier this summer at the school they've already been going through new lights and broken lights, eventually to add into the piles of finished lights that will don these branches for all to see.
UIW officials say Light The Way wouldn't be this lit without community volunteers like H-E-B.
"This year we're celebrating our 20th anniversary working with H-E-B," said Garcia.
This year's Light The Way celebration kicks off November 23 with the annual flipping of the switch at the holiday festival on UIW's main campus. For more information on the event visit the website here.