Mayor Jacobs Delivers Festival of Lights Donation to Love Kitchen
Feb 18, 2026, 11:53 am

Love Kitchen Donation. Image submitted

This morning Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs dropped off the canned goods and a check for $5,622 collected during the 2025 Holiday Festival of Lights at The Love Kitchen.

The 27th annual event ran throughout December, and visitors donated enough non-perishable food items to fill roughly seven large barrels, and $5,622.

Knox County has for years donated a variety of non-perishable food collected at the Festival of Lights to the Love Kitchen, which opened on Feb. 14, 1986, and provides meals, clothing, and emergency food packages for the homebound, homeless, and unemployed.

“The holiday spirit the Festival of Lights fosters is always made better by the donations made from the visitors who attend the free event,” Mayor Jacobs said. “The Love Kitchen is a community institution that provides a great service and gives people hope. It’s also one of those organizations in our community that everybody knows and supports because of the outstanding work that they do.”

Knox County Parks and Recreation Senior Director Joe Mack agreed.

“The Festival of Lights is an incredible community tradition, and I believe it is one of our best events,” Mack said. “I’m grateful for the generous contributions from so many who were able to enjoy it and help out.”

The Festival of Lights will return at the end of 2026 for its 28th year.