16th annual Festival of Trees set to open Nov. 2

KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com

The Harris Arts Center’s most beloved fundraiser of the year will open on Monday, Nov. 2 and run through Dec. 6. This year’s Festival of Trees auction will include the event’s usual table-top Christmas trees, wreaths, centerpieces and holiday gift baskets, as well as custom Christmas artwork from local artists.

This year marks the first time the arts center has included artwork as part of the auction. It is also the first year that the auction will be held online as well as in person.

“Right now, the galleries are open and people can come in with masks on. We have hand sanitizer available. But, we don’t know what might happen next so we will also have auction items online,” said Crystal Chapman, marketing and program coordinator for the center. “We talked about moving online for years and COVID pushed us to try it with the basket fundraiser earlier this year. It worked, so we are hoping to see that again.”

Planning for the fundraiser is still in its earliest stages, but Chapman said the center has reached out to a few local artists already to request donated pieces. She hopes other artists will also reach out to donate their own artwork.

“This has the potential to be really special for our local artists,” she said. “I hope we get a lot of input.”

In years past, the center has accepted 70-80 donations from businesses and individuals for trees, wreaths, centerpieces and gift baskets. Chapman hopes the community will continue that legacy this year and said she is looking forward to seeing the creativity of

Gordon County on display. Flip flops, stuffed animals, colorful sweets and festive ribbons are just a few things that have decorated trees in previous years.

For those who want to donate but do not have the time to design and decorate a tree or other item on their own, the arts center will have a team of “designer elves” available to customize entries. For a $200 donation, one of the team will customize a tree; for a $150 donation, a custom gift basket or centerpiece; for a $100, a custom wreath. All donations are tax deductible.

Anyone interested in joining the custom design team or making a donation should call the Harris Arts Center at 706-629-2599.

The HAC is open TuesdayThursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and is located at 212 S. Wall St in Downtown Calhoun.