Tomorrow is the Festival of Trees, a dinner with music and decorated trees to bid on. Each year Collinsville puts on this wonderful event with the proceeds going to a local non profit. The entity which receives the profits from the Festival is in charge of putting it on and this year the money will go to the Collinsville Education Fund. The day before the Festival, organizations which agreed to do a tree went to the Gateway Center and began decorating.
Gary Clark, this year's chairman, representing the Collinsville Education group.
Collinsville Progress, of which I am a member always decorates a tree and today was the day. The trees will be lined up on risers and auctioned off, most by a silent auction, the top trees as judged by a group of judges will be auctioned during an oral auction. Here's a look at some of the activity today.
The lights go on first and then it is serious business getting the ornaments just right. The Collinsville Progress tree is an Italian theme.
It turned out just gorgeous and will be completed with many gift certificates to St Louis Italian restuarants, grocery stores and bottles of Italian wine.
Here's a look at some of the rest of what went on by others.
Hand made wreathes will also be auctioned off.
As will a number of decorated artificial trees.
Ah, it wouldn't be the St Louis area without a Cardinal tree.
Then some of the live trees being decorated by members of various organizations.
This group put the lights on the tree and then spray painted it white. But, the paint took a while to dry so they got out a hair dryer to try and speed things along.
A Spider Man tree!!
A candy cane design
And this which was really striking
And lastly, there were place settings up for bid.
Some beautiful trees going up for auction tomorrow night.
Gateway Convention Center sponsors the party, with the selected charity paying part of the food/beverage and entertainment expense. Auction proceeds go to the charity. A great event with attendance between 600 and 900. Tree sponsors receive 6 tickets to the event and wreath sponsors 2 tickets. The Event of the Year for Collinsville.
Posted by: Frank | December 04, 2012 at 11:26 PM