With Christmas just four weeks away, the Festival of Trees has returned to the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives.
The silent auction fundraiser began Nov. 26 with dozens of beautifully decorated trees displayed in the Showcase Gallery.
The highlight of the fundraiser鈥攂eyond the creatively decorated trees鈥攊s the wine and cheese reception, hosted by Janice Yeaman and Wayne Kennedy. This year it will take place on Dec. 16 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., giving community members an opportunity to mix and mingle and bid.
The highest bidders, as of 3 p.m. on Dec. 19, will take home the trees, along with the accompanying decorations and gifts found beneath them.
Each year the trees are decorated by a wide variety of sources, including the Jasper Pride Festival Society, Tonquin Valley Quilters Guild, Friends of Jasper National Park, Elysion Florals and Rocky Mountain Roasters.
鈥淲e have lots of individuals and groups that do it year after year,鈥� said Anna Marie Couture, who鈥檚 organizing the event and happens to also be a member of that dedicated group of decorators.
鈥淚 love that part,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a group effort. We keep in contact all year and say, 鈥榳hat鈥檚 your theme?鈥� and then we collect for each other.鈥�
Each year, Couture collaborates with her sister in Saskatoon to put together her tree. This year they鈥檝e decided on a button theme.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very successful fundraiser for the museum,鈥� she said.
Last year it brought in around $6,000, and Couture is hopeful it will be equally as successful this year.
The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
