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Festival of Lights: Chanukah Night Glow features menorah made up of nine hot air balloons, music, activities
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Witness and experience the world鈥檚 only hot air balloon menorah during the Chanukah Night Glow.
The event begins at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, at Ballon Fiesta Park and the Sid Cutter Pilots鈥� Pavilion. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Required registration can be done at , by clicking on the 鈥淛oin the Glow鈥� tab.
The menorah is made up of nine separate hot air balloons that combine to create the illuminated multibranched candelabra, used during the Festival of Lights.
鈥淐hanukah, is eight days, eight nights, and we have what is called the shamash, which is the one that you light the other (branches of the menorah) with, so that one鈥檚 a little higher,鈥� said Rabbi Chaim Schmukler, of Chabad of New Mexico. 鈥淪o they have four and four and then one higher in the middle in a menorah. Of course, (a hot air balloon menorah is) uniquely New Mexican and I would say in the world as well.鈥�
Festival of Lights: Chanukah Night Glow features menorah made up of nine hot air balloons, music, activities
The menorah, made up of nine hot air balloons, draws people from other parts of the country and the world as well as throughout New Mexico, Schmukler said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had people come from Mexico City, we鈥檝e had people come from all over, different places throughout the years to see this,鈥� he added. 鈥淧eople look forward to it. It鈥檚 become an annual thing and people really look forward to it.鈥�
A separate menorah, which stands about 18 feet, also will be lit as part of the event. In addition to the giant menorah lighting, attendees can enjoy a concert by one of the world鈥檚 top Jewish singers, Moshe Tischler, who will be performing in English and Hebrew.
鈥淭his year we鈥檙e able to get one of the greatest Jewish singers, Moshe Tischler, to come down,鈥� Schmukler said. 鈥淧eople are very excited about it, but we鈥檙e able to get him, especially on what is the busiest day for Jewish singers, and we got him. It should be really fantastic. People are gonna have a wonderful time and a great experience.鈥�
Rounding out the festivities are Chanukah foods and children鈥檚 activities including face painting and balloon making.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also going to have Chanukah foods, which are traditionally done with with oil,鈥� Schmukler said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have latkes, which are potato pancakes and donuts for everyone, and we鈥檙e going to have special things for the kids. We鈥檙e going to have little gifts for the kids, for instance, we鈥檙e going to have light up Chanukah necklaces. We鈥檙e going to have dreidels, which are the spin things that we use on Chanukah and Chanukah chocolate gelt as well as $2 (bills) because traditionally, we do give real money, so they鈥檒l receive that as well.鈥�
Prizes will be given to attendees who guess how many dreidels are inside a large lucite dreidel filled with hundreds of the spinning tops.
鈥淓veryone will have a lot of fun, adults, children, it鈥檚 for everyone,鈥� Schmukler said. 鈥淧eople love it. I know from last year, the feedback we鈥檝e received, people are really looking forward to going back. If the weather holds up, God willing, like it did this prior year, we鈥檒l have it outdoors. We have heaters set up and seats set up, and we also have an indoor area if people want to stay indoors, but it gets pretty warm with the balloons and the heaters. But if, God forbid it鈥檚 too difficult, then we can always move indoors. So then the concert can move indoors, but we鈥檙e planning to begin outside.鈥�
