The Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center has hosted its Illumination event for 27 years without incident. But plans for the 2025 edition literally fell through after an unknown vandal took a chainsaw to the event's 40-foot centerpiece cedar tree.

"It's a great lesson in learning from adversity," Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center President K Alferio said. "And when something happens, you just figure out how to move on and make something better."

Rather than cancel the beloved community tradition, Alferio and the center's team decided to improvise. They reached out to the community for help, and the response exceeded all expectations.

"We were truly overwhelmed. We got so many lights and garland and decorations that we were able to fill up this whole big field," Alferio said.

The result was tho

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