FAQ

1.  How many candles should I order?

You should buy as many as you can possibly afford.  A display of 1,000 luminarias will cement your place for years – decades! – in neighborhood lore.

If your taste is more modest, a good spacing between candles is about 5 feet along sidewalks and curbs, and a little closer together on driveways or stairways.  Look at pictures from past years to see how people have set out their luminarias.

 

2.  Can I participate if I don’t live in Chesterbrook Woods?

Absolutely!  Every year we have homes in Chain Bridge Forest and Potomac Hills in the mix, and we’d love to see the event grow.  You just have to be close enough for us to deliver luminaria kits in person.

 

3.  Do I have to order my candles from you, or can I use my own?

You’re welcome to use your own.  If you do, please tell us so we can track neighborhood participation, either by "buying" a “using-our-own kit” for $0.00 on this website or by sending an email to info@lightupcw.com.

 

4.  Do your kits have everything I’ll need?

No.  Besides the candles and bags you get from us, you’ll need sand (what most people use), rocks, or dry dirt to provide a stable base for the candles and to weigh down the luminarias.  You can buy sand from McLean Hardware, Home Depot, etc., or online.  If you dry out the sand you can save it for next year.

 

5.  How and when do we get our orders?

Our elves (read, volunteers) will deliver to your house on Saturday, December 7th, one week before the event.  If you need to make other arrangements for delivery, send us a note at info@lightupcw.com.

 

6.  How can I help out?

We’ll need a lot of volunteers to assemble and deliver kits, and community service hours will be available for teens.  You can sign up here.  If you’re interested in helping to organize next year’s event, send an email to info@lightupcw.com or look for our first announcements in September.

 

7.  Can’t I buy candles for less online?

Besides being a neighborhood event, this is a fundraiser.  After we’ve covered our expenses, we donate the proceeds from sales of our luminaria kits to local nonprofits that the organizing committee selects – this year, SHARE, Inc., Northern Virginia Family Service, and McLean Volunteer Fire Department.  In 2023, we gave more than $4,000.

 

8.  Can I just donate money to you?

Yes; we’d be grateful.  Please send us an email at info@lightupcw.com.

 

9.  Is any of the money we give you tax-deductible?

No, but we are taking steps to seek tax-exempt status.  We hope to have a different answer to this question for next year.