Perry Arts Commission to hold first Festival of Trees

The Perry Public Arts Commission in conjunction with the Perry Area Historical Society will hold Perry’s first ever Festival of Trees Nov. 30.

Gail Albrecht,

commissioner of the Perry Public Arts Commission, said they hope to make it an annual event.

“We have 20 artificial trees that have been purchased and will be set up. Various groups and businesses are each sponsoring a tree and decorating

it in a theme,” Albrecht said. “There is a silent auction for people to bid on the trees.”

Over the course of the four-day event, people can come and view each tree. There is no cost to enter to see the trees, and there will be small pails or jars available for people to vote on their favorite trees. Each vote is one penny, and at the end of the event, the cash in each jar will be counted to declare the winner.

A people’s choice award will also be held for gingerbread houses, which will also be on display. Albrecht said she doesn’t know how popular the event will be, but the commission hopes to cover the startup cost of the event.

Each 7 1/2 foot pre-lighted tree can be bid on, and the highest bid for each will be the winner. Fifty percent of the money from the winning bid will go to the group that sponsored the tree while the other 50 percent will go to the Arts Commission.

Winners can pick up their tree at the conclusion of the event Sunday, Dec. 3. Albrecht said that all the trees have a sponsor for decoration.

While times for the event vary by day, there will also be an adult evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

“There will be a wreath-making demonstration by Cory Jones, who has a shop on Carroll Street downtown,” Albrecht said. “We’ll have live music, cocktails and

hors d’oeuvres. We’re asking for a $10 ticket

wrist band donation.”

Albrecht said Sunday has been

designed as a kids or family day, so Santa will be at the event, and parents can get pictures of their children with Santa by a professional photographer.

“There will be two gentlemen doing a wooden toy making workshop, and we’ll have candy canes and things for the kids. There’s also face painting, and the gingerbread houses will be on display,” Albrecht said.

Albrecht said the idea for the Festival of Trees came about from a monthly board meeting at which Ellie Loudermilk, president of the Perry Area Historical Society, attended. Originally from Wisconsin, Albrecht said the event has been popular there in the past and was surprised there wasn’t an event like it in Perry. Albrecht and Loudermilk decided to pull together for the event and sponsorship in part to help bring another activity and cultural event to Perry.

“I was very active in activities and in 4H and community groups, and I helped with a few things (in Wisconsin),” Albrecht said. “It was nice to do outdoor things there, but here, indoors is more conducive. Down here, I talked about it, but a lot of people had never heard of a festival of trees.”

Albrecht said that Loudermilk was very eager to do a festival of trees because she was already acquainted with the idea.

The trees will be set up three days prior to the event at which time each group will come in and decorate. The event itself will be held at the Perry Welcome Center, 101 Courtney Hodges Blvd., from 8:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, with the adults’ evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3.

People can

vote on their favorite trees and gingerbread houses, bid on trees and see various holiday collections, holiday villages, snow globes and German nutcrackers.

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