The Leesburg Lions Club’s 33rd annual Luminaria will be held this Sunday, Dec. 11 with the hope that all village residents will help the community celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.

This year’s event will begin at 5 p.m. with the lighting of the luminaries, followed by presentation of the king and queen at 5:45 p.m. at Leesburg Public Library.

The king and queen are selected from sixth grade students at the Fairfield Local Schools who submitted entries to an essay contest entitled “What the Luminaria Means To Me.”

A home decorating contest is open to all residents in the Fairfield Local School District. The only stipulation is that the Lions Club’s luminaries must be used as part of the decorations. The judge for the event will be a district Lions Club officer and the winner of the individual home contest will receive $100.

Participants who do not live in the Leesburg village limits need to call and notify the Leesburg Lions Club if they wish to be considered for the contest, or they can sign up when they pick up their luminary bags.

There will be wagon rides around town this year to view the decorations. The wagons will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The pick-up and drop-off point will be Square One Heating & Cooling in downtown Leesburg.

Santa will be at Square One Heating & Cooling from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and many Leesburg businesses will host open house events during those same hours.

The evening will conclude with a community Christmas service at the Leesburg Church of Christ at 7:30 p.m. The essays about the luminaria will be shared at the service.

Luminaria kits will be available at Square One Heating & Cooling on Main Street in Leesburg on Friday, Dec. 9, from 3-6 p.m. or Saturday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each kit has 20 candles and 20 bags for $7. Kits are also available at Saucy Sisters Pizza.

“It is the community’s hope that all residents of Leesburg will help light up the village to celebrate the real meaning of the Christmas spirit,” the Lions Club said in a news release.

For more information call 937-661-5984 or 937-780-6140.

Information for this story was provided by Jay Newland, Leesburg Lions Club.