PLAINS – The Sanders County Fairgrounds was lit up for the holidays, Saturday, during their annual Christmas lighting as well as the Sanders County Cancer Network’s luminary ceremony.

The lights were turned on Saturday evening. Community members can drive through the fairgrounds, viewing the lights. The drive features a nativity scene, nutcrackers and other traditional Christmas themes.

Saturday evening also featured the launching of luminary lanterns for the cancer network. According to Kathy Miller, of the cancer network, they are still working out numbers, but she estimated there were over 100 lanterns launched.

The event was designed as a way to raise awareness of cancer. The luminaries were marked with names and messages for people who survived cancer or lost the struggle. While it was a bitter-sweet event, there was still a somewhat festive air to the evening; Miller recalled several children were getting very into launching the lanterns.

“I think we did a good job of raising awareness,” she said of their end goals.