CSU Winter Illumination 2025 Lights Up the Holiday Season

The Seed to Bloom Botanical and Community Garden at Central State University Extension glowed with festive brilliance last week during the fourth annual Winter Illumination, a tradition that has become a cherished send-off for CSU students before the holiday break. 

“We began this tradition to send off the CSU students for the holiday break since they would not be on campus during the holidays,” explained Clare Thorn, Extension Associate, Agricultural and Natural Resources. 

Although the academic calendar has shifted slightly over the years, the event continues to take place just before Thanksgiving, offering a moment of beauty and community before students depart. 

Students were invited to join the celebration, reinforcing the idea, according to Thorn, that “the Seed to Bloom Botanical and Community Garden belongs to all who are on campus, whether leadership, faculty, staff, or students.” The Garden serves as a space for relaxation, study, and engagement with nature. 

This year’s illumination featured live jazz performed by three talented CSU music students, including Oswald Bowe III, junior industrial technology major; Kenderick Bodie, junior business administration major; and Quincy Jarvis, junior jazz studies, adding warmth and rhythm to the crisp evening air, complemented by warmth from an open-burn pit.  

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For those who missed the event, there’s still time to experience the magic of the Garden, which will maintain extended evening hours until 8 p.m. daily through Jan. 6, 2026, allowing visitors to enjoy the illuminated landscape throughout the holiday season. 

While Winter Illumination marks the final program of the year, exciting developments are on the horizon. Recent projects include an agroforestry demonstration area, and a pollinator garden. Plans are in the works for a meadow project, along with new Black Heritage and Native American plots. 

Several CSU Extension staff were on hand for the Garden illumination, including Dr. Alcinda Folck, Extension Administrator; Marc Amante, interim Program Leader and Southwest Regional Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator; and Brian Kampman, Vegetable & Small Fruit Technician.  

Dr. Jose Toledo, Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Director of the 1890 Land-Grant Programs, promised that next year it would be, “Come for the illumination, and stay for hot apple cider.” 

About the Seed to Bloom Botanical and Community Garden: 

The Seed to Bloom Botanical and Community Garden, part of the Central State University Extension, provides an inviting space for visitors to interact with the natural beauty and surroundings. Located on State Route 42, immediately across from the Central State University main entrance, the garden provides a unique stage for horticultural education in a collegiate atmosphere, with learning opportunities for Central State University students, local schools, and the greater community. Regular programs are designed for participants to interact and learn about agriculture and natural resources along with new plants, cultivation, and growing their own gardens. Programs are offered for all age groups and include, but are not limited to, youth, including 4-H, family and adult gardening and nature programs, seminars, and workshops.  

For more information about Garden events and programs, contact Clare Thorn: Phone: 937-376-6627. Email: cthorn@centralstate.edu