PORT ANGELES — The Festival of Trees will bring ballet, house-sized Christmas ornaments and snow flurries to a community gathering one evening next week.
Tuesday’s Opening Ceremonies for the Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s four-day 35th Annual Festival of Trees will feature Christmas ornaments 12 feet in diameter and a 20-foot-high Christmas tree as well as — for the first time in its history — four holiday set pieces from Westlake Park for enjoyment and selfies and a snow-making machine.
Those who attend the 5 p.m. welcome outside the Vern Burton Community Center at 308 E. Fourth St., in Port Angeles, will need to dress for snow, even though the wet stuff is not likely to last long in the relatively balmy North Olympic Peninsula weather, according to Bruce Skinner, executive director of the OMC Foundation.
Another first at Tuesday’s ceremonies, which are presented by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, will be in honor of the event’s theme, the Nutcracker Ball. The Port Angeles City Ballet will perform the history of The Nutcracker inside huge, LED-lighted Christmas ornaments. Ballet Director Kate Robbins will stage the review.
“It will be the best Opening Ceremonies that we’ve ever had,” Skinner said. “It includes everything we’ve done in the past, plus the ballet, the snow and the sets from Westlake Park.”
This year’s Opening Ceremonies have been moved to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving instead of Thanksgiving Eve since the day before the holiday can be a difficult time for people to attend an event, Skinner said.
After Tuesday’s welcome, the Festival of Trees will pick up again on Friday and continue through Sunday, Nov. 30. Tickets are still available for each activity of the festival. All are presented by First Fed at the Vern Burton Center.
As always, the centerpiece of the festival are the 50-some elaborately decorated Christmas trees and wreaths created by some of the area’s best designers — all volunteers.
A limited number of $20 tickets to the Opening Ceremonies will provide seating on the lawn as well entitle the holders to a pre-festival tour of the decorations inside the center. The tree designers will be available for questions as they stand next to their trees.
Uncovered standing room will be offered free of charge on the lawn during Opening Ceremonies.
The trees and wreaths will preside over the Teddy Bear Teas on Friday morning while student volunteers – many of whom once attended the teas as youngsters– dress in costume to entertain the young guests, That evening, the trees and their premiums are auctioned off at that night’s Gala, where trees bring in thousands of dollars each to be donated to the Olympic Medical Center.
The trees will be on view during the Senior Breakfast Saturday morning and Family Days on Saturday and Sunday.
New features have been added to each activity of the Thanksgiving Weekend festival.
“The weekend itinerary keeps growing every year,” said Lindsay Fox, chief growth officer for the OMC Foundation.
Friday night’s Gala will be followed by an After Hours Party at the Red Lion Hotel at 221 N. Lincoln St., Port Angeles.
This revives an earlier tradition in which Gala guests would stay after the dinner and auction to dance, while bringing them to Port Angeles’ downtown to keep the party going, Fox said.
Reckless Dove will play covers, pop, rock for plenty of dance music until 11 p.m. in the Red Lion ballroom. Complementary appetizers and a no-host bar will be offered.
The Stardust Big Band, a 17-piece jazz ensemble based in Sequim, will perform for the Senior Breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29.
During Family Days on Saturday, Nov. 29, Fat Ferdie and the Stolen Sweets, a jazz quartet from Sequim, will play at 10 a.m. and at noon, youth dancers from Studio 360 of Port Angeles will perform.
During Family Days on Sunday, Nov. 30, AT Large, featuring Amanda Bacon and Todd Ortloff, will perform at 11 a.m. At noon, a Hawaiian ukulele group of about 40 people from Sequim and Port Angeles will entertain.
Sprinkled throughout Vern Burton both Family Days will be quartets from the Port Angeles High School Orchestra, as well as children’s games and activities and photos with Santa. Guests can buy into a raffle for a 6-foot decorated Christmas tree, buy a wreath and view the auctioned trees.
Volunteers fuel the Festival of Trees, according to Fox.
“This year, more student groups are volunteering,” she said, adding that some 23 teams and organizations in Port Angeles and Sequim are volunteering time and talents.
The Teddy Bear Teas and Family Days are primarily staffed by high school students. “They get so excited to come back and work it,” Fox said.
“Youth groups from the high schools come every year, the port, Rotary — it’s everybody, all hands on deck,” she said.
The Festival of Trees “involves our entire community,” Fox added. “Just to make it happen takes hundreds of volunteers.
“It’s such a community event.”
Here is the list of events, all at the Vern Burton Community Center, with ticket prices.
• Opening Ceremonies: 5 p.m. Tuesday. Presented by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, these will include the lighting of large outdoor decorations and trees, a performance, snow and tours of the decorated trees inside the Vern Burton Center. Tickets are $20 each
• Teddy Bear Teas: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday. Presented by Erika Ralston Word of Windermere for parents and children, Santa will make his first appearance at the event and will be available for photos with each child. Photos will be printed and available to pick up immediately following the event. Tickets are $16 each for general admission or $32 each for VIP admission, which includes champagne.
• Festival of Trees Gala: Doors open at 5 p.m., Friday. Presented by First Fed, participants will enjoy a buffet dinner, tree auction and silent auction. Tickets are $110 each.
• Senior Breakfast: 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 29. Breakfast will be served for all ages, entertainment, and tree viewing. Tickets are $20 each.
• Family Days: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, with Santa photos from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, with Santa photos from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can view the trees, wreaths and other decorations as well as purchase raffle tickets and enjoy entertainment,. Tickets are $8, with those 12 and under
Tickets can be purchased online at www.omhf.org, by calling 360-417-7144 or by going to the Foundation office at 1015 Georgiana Street in Port Angeles.
The Festival of Trees is among the OMC Foundation’s largest fundraiser. Proceeds from all Foundation fundraisers are donated to the Olympic Medical Center for equipment and other needs.
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Leah Leach is a former executive editor for Peninsula Daily News.
