Every year, the weekend before finals, the gray and stale air of winter is broken by the glow of just one couch. This couch stands as a beacon for the city, one of hope, for students and city residents alike. A joyous celebration for the end of another tough semester, and perhaps the last chance of the year for the confident capricious youth to still imagine that one day their undergraduate degree will mean something.

The Christmas Couch lighting ceremony will take place somewhere on State Street this Saturday night at approximately 6:57 pm, or really just whenever Trey can get the keys to Pete’s truck.

City officials expect that students will take this Christmas couch lighting ceremony to heart since many don’t expect to have a couch lighting ceremony this spring. So they encourage everyone to join the celebration this year as college age kids eyes filled with wonder as a couch lights up for the first time.

This year’s carefully selected couch is a beautiful Salvation Army find. We’re told it has a history in the area, as it once served as a “smoking couch” on the patio of a home near the corner of State and Elizabeth.

Event planners warn potential event participants that it might be cold out so be sure to bring a cup of hot apple cider or a cold can of Natural Light to help stay warm.

While the event is free to the public, State Street residents encourage visitors to bring any sort of can donations, even Coors Light.