Festival of Trees to kick off with Nov. 23 gala
This is the 12th year for festival at Sissiboo Landing
Among the events that help usher in the Christmas season is the annual Festival of Trees at Sissiboo Landing, which will be held from Friday, Nov. 23, to Saturday, Dec. 1.
The annual event’s 12th edition will start with an opening gala on Nov. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. This activity is for those 19 and older.
Festival hours for Saturday, Nov. 24, are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for Sunday, Nov. 25 are from 1 to 4 p.m.
The opening weekend is when people will have a chance to vote for their favourites.
“We have Christmas trees and gingerbread houses,” said Jeanne Nesbit, manager at Sissiboo Landing. “They’re put in by individuals, businesses, non-profits. Basically, anybody that would like to enter one is welcome to do so.”
If they can’t make it for the gala on Nov. 23 or for the Saturday and Sunday sessions on that weekend, people will have a chance to view the entries throughout the following week. Daytime hours for Monday to Friday (Nov. 26 to 30) are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday also will include evening sessions (6 to 8 p.m.). The last viewing day will be Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Festival of Trees is a pretty popular event, Nesbit says, and should help people get in the Christmas spirit.
“We have a really good turnout,” she said. That the event has been held for a dozen years, she said, shows the “tremendous community support” for the festival. “There’s no way it can be done without the people coming in and doing the trees and the gingerbread houses.”
“(On) the creative side, we’ve seen some amazing Christmas trees,” she said. She encourages those who have not been to the festival before to check it out for themselves.
The festival’s opening weekend includes a silent auction at the gala and another that will run the next two days.
The festival is a fundraiser for the Weymouth Waterfront Development Committee, which operates Sissiboo Landing.
Tickets for the opening gala are $20 and can be purchased by calling 902-837-5349.
Those attending the festival on other days will be charged a $2 admission. The children’s fee is $1.