On Saturday evening December 6, 2014, volunteers will light 23000 luminaries, one for each soldier that died on Antietam National Battlefield. We will meet at the visitor center and be able to walk around the immediate vicinity to get photos. This could be your last chance to get some night shots for the December night themed competitions. This is definitely a tripod event.

We will not join the string of vehicles waiting to view the illumination, but will meet at the Visitor’s Center, and be on the ground to shoot whatever we can from that area. Sunset that day will be at 4:49 p.m., so we will want to be up there by 4:00 at the very latest. It’s about a 2 hour drive to Sharpsburg, so we will plan our carpool caravan to leave by 2:00 p.m. If you are going to meet us there, you have to get their by 4:30PM before they close the parking lot. Each car will need a $25 parking pass. I need to submit the request for permits tomorrow. Please let me know if you are going and if you are willing to drive.

The carpool will meet at the park and ride next to the Severna Park Racquetball club off of Veterans Highway near Benfield Boulevard. 

After we’ve finished shooting for the day, we will plan to have dinner or pie at Bonnie’s at The Red Byrd Restaurant, in nearby Keedysville, Maryland.

In case of inclement weather, the rain date for this event is December 13.

Here is a web site from the National Park Service that will tell you more about the event.