MEDINA — Several volunteers assisted Main Street Medina in decorating the square over the weekend for this week's Candlelight Walk.

Main Street Medina Events Director Angela Mansier said between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday and Sunday, volunteers crafted the luminarias used for the candlelight walk and decorated the gazebo and other structures around the square.

“Up until before COVID they would do all of the decorating on one day,” Mansier said. “It was a lot. After COVID, when we were allowed to have the event again, we decided to have it on two different days. It’s really been nice because we can set goals, and have teams of people that can focus on that, check, check, check, done. Then we look at the next day and put all of our energy behind that.”

She said on Saturday 30 students and 20 adults volunteered their time. The students helped make 2,000 luminarias with donated candles from Root Candles, milk jugs from Plastipak, and sand from Medina Supply Co. Sunday had 20 students and 20 adult volunteers.

Mansier said several of the volunteers have helped before, with many of them being local business owners and their families.

“Having that team always come it makes it seamless,” she said. “Unless there is something new that we have gotten, they remember what we do from year to year. They have a system.”

With this year’s walk being the 40th, Mansier said over the years the community has supported the event to make it what it is today. She said that can especially be seen in the tree.

“We call it the community tree, and it is,” she said. “It’s donated by Davis Tree Farm. The city puts it up for us, and then students, community members and business members all have a hand in making it beautiful.”

Mansier said the event is a great representation of the good Medina has to offer.

“It’s just so many partnerships, and so many hands in the pot,” she said. “It just creates something really spectacular, a three-day event for our town.”

The majority of the candlelight walk decorating was done over the weekend, but Mansier said there are still some lights that need to be hung. She said the 2,000 luminarias will be placed by Medina Odd Fellows and Boy Scout Troop 501, all around the square on Friday.

Medina Candlelight Walk festivities start Friday, with events throughout the day leading to the lighting of the luminarias at 4 p.m., and the tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. There are several more events taking place Friday through Sunday. To see a full list of all the events, visit mainstreetmedina.com/candlelight-walk.

Contact reporter Patrick Rhonemus at (330) 721–4050 or prhonemus@medina-gazette.com.