PORT ANGELES — All that was missing was snow on the ground and the nip of winter temperatures in the air.
Volunteer designers continue to fill the Vern Burton Community Center this week with Christmas trees decorated to the nines as part of the 23rd annual Festival of Trees.
Trees with purple bows, all white ornaments and even the hat, ears and nose of Disney’s Goofy could be seen Tuesday morning as the sound of seasonal music floated from small stereos.
The festival, a fundraiser for the Olympic Medical Center Foundation and the Port Angeles Exchange Club, will be at the Vern Burton, 308 E. Fourth St., from Friday through Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased for the Festival of Trees Gala and Auction, the Family Days Breakfast and the Family Days open houses. The festival will feature 58 decorated trees and some
50 wreaths.
The trees, each of which comes with a number of presents underneath, will be auctioned off at the winter-themed Festival of Trees Gala and Auction on Friday.
They will be on display Saturday and Sunday during Family Days.
Tickets for the events are available at the OMC Foundation office at 928 Caroline St. or by phoning 360-417-7144.
Cindy Teitzel, a 22-year veteran of the tree festival, has designed trees that have featured most everything from a sailing theme, complete with wooden sailboat, to one honoring Marilyn Monroe.
“It seems like if you name it, I’ve probably done it,” Teitzel said.
Teitzel christened this year’s creation “Titanic Tannenbaum,” a tree themed to recall the historic steamliner topped off with a truly “titanic” star on the top.
Teitzel, of Sequim, said she designs the next year’s tree as soon as she’s done with the current year’s and often takes advantage of the after-Christmas sales to stock up on decorations.
“It’s for a good cause, that’s basically it,” Teitzel said, when asked why she keeps coming back to the festival each year.
“It’s a way to use your creative side. That’s probably what I like the best.”
Jamie Scott of Port Angeles stood not too far from Teitzel’s creation and watched as her teammate put the finishing touches on a tree designed to resemble Disney’s Goofy.
“I didn’t think I would pull it off,” Scott said.
The tree was one of three Scott was working on for this year.
“I’m insane,” she said with a laugh when asked why she was taking on three very different trees.
One was a simple white-on-silver design called “White Out,” while the third, “Sugar and Spice,” was slated to be decked out in purples, blues and pinks with a large pink bow.
Like Teitzel, Scott said she develops next year’s designs as soon as the current year’s are done and gathers the necessary materials the 11 months in between.
“It’s an all-year event,” she said.
“I have all three for next year already [planned].”
A stone’s throw away from Scott’s work, Esther Alward of Port Angeles supervised the hanging of ornaments and other decorations on her nutcracker-themed tree.
In her fourth year of the festival, Alward said the sense of teamwork that pervades the festival work is one of the main reasons she’s come back four times.
“Just the ambiance of the whole thing,” she said.
New this year will be an all-class Port Angeles High School reunion at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
The dancing and auction will follow the all-class PAHS men’s and women’s basketball tournament at the high school gym at 304 E. Park Ave., which will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
No advance tickets are sold for the reunion. Admission — $20 for the general public — will be paid only at the door.
Members of two memorable Port Angeles High basketball teams will be honored at the reunion.
The 1952 boys team was the only team in Port Angeles history to be ranked No. 1 in the state, and the 1986 girls team finished second in the state, the highest finish for a PAHS girls team, said Bruce Skinner, director of the OMC Foundation.
Members of the 1986 girls team also will play in Saturday’s tournament, which has about 20 teams registered.
Teams must pre-register with the OMC Foundation by phoning 360-417-7144 or going by the office. The fee is $10 and includes admission to the reunion.
The full festival schedule:
Friday
■ Teddy Bear Tea — 10 a.m. and noon. Sold out.
■ Festival of Trees Gala — 5:30 p.m., featuring a buffet dinner, tree auction, silent auction and dancing to live music. $95.
Saturday
■ Family Days Breakfast — 8 a.m. Tickets for the sit-down breakfast are $12 for adults and $6 for children. A limited number will be sold at the door.
■ All-Class Port Angeles High School Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the high school gym at 304 E. Park Ave. Pre-registration needed. Fee is $10.
■ Family Days — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trees and wreaths can be seen. Music, games and crafts are planned. Tickets are $5 each, with children younger than 8 admitted free. Tickets are available at the door.
■ “Home for the Holidays” — 8 p.m. Tickets to the all-class Port Angeles High School reunion are $20 at the door for those who did not compete in the basketball tournament.
Sunday, Dec. 1
■ Family Days — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
