Peace Candle
The original plywood candle was replaced with a stronger candle made of fiberglass and galvanized steel, the covering of which was stretched on steel and wood frames. It was designed by the Allentown-based firm Rileigh's Inc. and constructed at a cost of about $12,500. The flame was built out of fiberglass strips with lights that changed color in sequence, to create a more realistic burning flame than the original candle. The new structure was , compared to the original . Each side of the new candle was about wide on each side. Due to the increase in size, it was no longer necessary to place the flame structure over the bugler statue on the top of the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument. Four new smaller candles were built and stood tall and were about wide on each side. Special lighting equipment was added to give the Peace Candle a natural effect that would make it realistically flicker throughout the night. At the base of the candles, 75 tall evergreen trees with gold ornaments were placed, strung with more than 2,000 Christmas tree lights.
Peace Candle
On November 14, 2015, the candle was lit nearly two weeks prior to the official ceremony date after local resident Joe Mercado posted to an Easton, Pennsylvania Facebook community page asking to light the candle to show support for the people of Paris, France after a terrorist attack the day before. Due to overwhelming response to the post, the city organized a candle light vigil that evening with several hundred residents attending. Prayers were offered in several languages, including French, and several faiths. Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski spoke. The candle remained lit for three days before being shut off until the official lighting event.