On the night of January 10, the town of Lexington gathered once again at Depot Square for Munroe Arts Illumination Night 2026, an evening of warmth, reflection, and celebration. Building on the success of Illumination Night in 2025, this year’s event drew residents of all ages for an immersive experience featuring campfires, hot chocolate, tanghulu, interactive light-based activities, and a striking projection mapping show created by the Youth STEAM Initiative.
Throughout the evening, friends and neighbors lingered around the square, warming themselves by the fire. Some family favorites were LED spirograph portraits, a giant interactive light peg installation, illuminated hula hoops, and glow necklaces.
For the main event, a projection mapping show was held at 5:00 pm on the historic Depot building. Before the lights came up, Cristina Burwell of the Munroe Center for the Arts formally introduced the Youth STEAM Initiative team, recognizing their creative vision and technical leadership behind the projection mapping. Designed around the theme “We Shine Together,” the visual narrative unfolded across three scenes, Path of Light, Light of Love, and Faces of Light,
The first scene, “Path of Light,” set a reflective tone, drawing the audience’s attention to Lexington itself. Employing layered animations and smooth transitions, the projection followed the evolution of the town’s iconic historic buildings throughout the town, from the Buckman Tavern to the Ellen Stone Building. The scene highlighted how physical spaces have changed while the community’s shared ideals have endured.
The second scene, Light of Love, centered on the profound legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Against a backdrop of dynamic light and motion, several of Dr. King’s most enduring words appeared across the building, including the message that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Paired with moving music and flowing imagery, the segment emphasized love and justice, a very meaningful kickoff to Martin Luther King Jr. week.
During transitions between one scene and the next, glowing butterflies of a myriad of colors swept across the building, trailing paths and guiding viewers from one chapter to the next.
The final scene, Faces of Light, celebrated the people behind Lexington’s history and present-day community life. Projections first honored historical figures, including local heroes like Prince Estabrook, who broke boundaries by being the first African American in the Revolutionary War, and John Parker, whose spirit lives on, immortalized in the world-famous Lexington Minuteman statue. The scene then switched its focus onto contemporary individuals and organizations, such as the Lexington Police and Fire Departments, and nonprofits like Lex Eat Together, whose leadership, service, and dedication continue to shape the town. When the police and fire department images came on, the crowd applauded in unison, supporting the heroes in our own community.
The performance ended with a beautiful cluster of animated butterflies seemingly dancing across the building, with a background of flowers, leaving the audience feeling calm, reflective, and looking forward to future events. Following the projection, the crowd gathered in a star formation, guided by lanterns, for a photo by a drone photographer. To end the night, everyone gathered at the VO250 volunteer arch to activate another few bulbs, completing the evening’s emphasis on collective participation.
The projection mapping was developed by the Youth STEAM Initiative, whose unique approach combined art, artificial intelligence, storytelling, and technical expertise. The project showcased the growing role of youth-led innovation in Lexington’s cultural life and demonstrated how emerging technologies can also be used for meaningful civic storytelling.
When asked to reflect on their wonderful event, members of the Youth STEAM Initiative had these thoughts to say:
“My view on how to do this project has been completely altered from what it was before. Not only that, I felt proud to see the final version and how far the team has progressed, starting from the beginning to that very day of the event.” – Trenton Fan
“I feel that this project I’d done for the community of Lexington was less of a favor for me to them, but more of a community service from Lexington to me— I’d learned how caring and hard-working the people that were right by my side were all along.” – Angelina Ding
“I truly enjoy seeing people’s faces light up when they experience something we spent so many hours creating. Moments like these affirm that our efforts genuinely benefited the community, and they make all the hard work worthwhile. I’m looking forward to our next event.” – Jiawei Liu
“Working on Illumination Night showed me how meaningful it is to create something that brings the community together. Seeing people experience and connect with what we made made all the effort feel truly worthwhile.” – Stephen Yang
Illumination Night 2026 reaffirmed Lexington’s ability to bring together the community in ways that are able to be contemporary, but also deeply based in historical meaning. One message was evident as the event came to a close, and conversations continued into the night: We shine together, in every spark, every smile, and every act of kindness.
Credits
The projection mapping was created by members of the Youth STEAM Initiative: Angelina Ding (Light of Love), Kalina Liu and Andrew Pan (Path of Light), Stephen Yang (Team Co-leader, Faces of Light), Trenton Fan (Faces of Light), and Jiawei Liu (Team Leader, Project Coordinator). Special thanks to mentors Stella Shen, Jeannie Lu, and Dr. Wei Ding, who provided technical guidance, animation support, and coordination help, and much thanks to Cristina Burwell for her unwavering support, wonderful ideas, and leadership throughout the project.