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Medallions and icons from Greece adorn a tree in 2002. The Festivals of Trees are held to benefit various organizations.
The 2000 Festival of Trees, held at Fredericksburg Square, featured a room full of decorated trees and wreaths. This year's festival will mark the seventh annual event for Hope House.
Diana Noonen talks with Charlotte Garrett about the Greek Orthodox Tree at the Festival of Trees, held in downtown Fredericksburg in 2002. This year's Festivals of Trees, both fund-raisers, take place in Culpeper and Stafford counties, beginning this week. |
Thanksgiving might be next week, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start getting into the Christmas spirit.
With 37 shopping days left until the big day, there's still plenty of time to buy the gifts, mix the egg nog, mail the cards and put up the tree.
If all these tasks seem a little bit overwhelming, two upcoming events may help get that seasonal decorating out of the way with hardly any effort at all.
Fredericksburg's Hope House and Culpeper's Windmore Foundation for the Arts will each host a Festival of Trees to raise money for the organizations.
Hope House's seventh annual Festival of Trees will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at the Riverside Conference Center in Stafford County. The festival will be open every day through Nov. 30, excluding Thanksgiving.
During the festival, more than 100 trees decked out in holiday finery will be available for purchase by silent auction. Those who make bids may return to track them at no charge.
Some trees will be adorned with religious or traditional Christmas decorations, but visitors also can bid on a Redskins tree, a margarita tree donated by the Rappahannock Area Parrot Head Club, trees with pet or circus themes, or a tree decorated in honor of the movie "Shark Tale," said Tina McCobb, executive director of Hope House.
Area residents, organizations and businesses donate and decorate the trees.
"So many different folks will call to want to do a tree," McCobb said.
Wreaths and centerpieces donated by area garden clubs will be for sale at the holiday gift boutique, and a fashion show and luncheon will take place on Nov. 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tickets for the fashion show will be available until tomorrow by calling Hope House. Tickets are $30 for general seating and $60 for VIP seating, which includes a seat up front, a glass of wine with lunch, a coupon for the gift boutique and a special gift. Both ticket prices include admission to see the trees.
Hope House provides transitional housing for homeless women and their children in Planning District 16, which includes Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties.
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WHAT: Festival of Trees WHEN: Nov. 23-30, excluding Thanksgiving Day. Nov. 23-24 and 27-29, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Nov. 26, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Nov. 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. WHERE: Riverside Conference Center, 95 Riverside Parkway, off U.S. 17 in Stafford COST: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for children ages 2-12, free for children under 2 INFO: 540/371-0831 WEB: hopehouseva.org/festival.html FYI: The event will benefit Hope House WHAT: Festival of Trees WHEN: Nov. 21–Dec. 4. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 1–5 p.m. WHERE: The Depot, South Commerce Street, Culpeper COST: Free INFO: 540/727-8777 FYI: The event will benefit the Windmore Foundation for the Arts |
Women may stay up to two years while they become independent, and they receive six months of follow-up care once they leave the program, McCobb said.
The organization also runs a licensed day-care center on site and reaches out to residents who need food.
Sponsored by Capital One, GEICO and the National Bank of Fredericksburg, the festival is run almost entirely by volunteers, many of whom are eager to return each year, McCobb said.
"We could not do this event without the community, seriously," she said.
Volunteers also are the driving force behind Windmore's Festival of Trees, which will begin Sunday at the Depot in Culpeper. The event will last through Saturday, Dec. 4.
Windmore is an arts organization with outlets for fine arts, writing, music, community theater and fiber art. It also has a children's division for fine arts and theater, said Marty Moon, executive director of Windmore.
Just as with the Hope House festival, area residents and groups volunteer to donate and decorate trees according to a certain theme.
About 20 trees and 30 wreaths will be on display, Moon said, some of which will be auctioned during the festival preview on Saturday night at the Depot. Tickets, which cost $10, may be reserved by calling Windmore or purchased at the door.
In addition to the auction of trees and other items donated by community members, the preview will include hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
Party-goers will embark on a sort of treasure hunt with "sparklers"--wineglasses etched with the festival logo and a small jewelry bag attached. Each bag will contain a stone, but only one will have a real diamond, which is provided by festival sponsor Petersen Jewelers.
Other sponsors are Yates Properties, Chateau du Reaux, Butch Davies and Marty Moon.
Windmore also will hold a raffle for four trees loaded with products and gift certificates. There will be trees for children, self-improvement, home improvement and food and entertainment. Tickets are $5 each, and they are available from Windmore board members or the Windmore office.
The trees will be raffled on the afternoon of Dec. 4 after Culpeper's Christmas Tour of Homes. The festival is included on the tour.
The Festival of Trees is a popular event in each community because area residents wish to support these organizations, both McCobb and Moon said.
The festivals help kick off the holiday season, and their offerings make this time of year a little easier on some people.
To reach EMILY GILMORE: 540/374-5426 egilmore@freelancestar.com
