PORT ANGELES — The theme of this year’s Festival of Trees is “Let It Snow,” but Betsy Schultz insisted it was not prophetic.
“I was not responsible for this early winter storm,” said the festival’s creative director, who came up with the theme.
“But I’ll take credit for it if people think it looks pretty.”
The theme was already on display inside — and outside — the Vern Burton Community Center on Wednesday, with snowflake decorations hanging above teams of tree designers diligently working on their showcase, many hoping to finish them before Thanksgiving.
The center at 308 E. Fourth St. is once again the host of the festival, in its 20th year, which will start today with the tree auction.
The festival, an annual fundraising event for Olympic Medical Center Foundation and the Port Angeles Exchange Club, will run through Sunday.
The 40 decorated trees will be auctioned off during tonight’s Festival of Trees Gala, which in-cludes a gourmet buffet dinner and dance. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.
The $95 tickets are still on sale and can be bought at the Toggery, 105 E. First St.
The trees will be on display through Sunday.
A few appeared to already be finished Wednesday, including a rock ‘n’ roll-themed tree with vinyl records for decorations and crowned with a small bass guitar, and a “green” tree decorated with Earth-friendly toys.
Others were taking shape, such as the M&M-themed tree designed by Holly Rockwell-Irwin.
The tree included candy dispensers, M&M toys and — soon to be added — the candies themselves.
Rockwell-Irwin, 35, said she decorated her first tree for the fundraiser eight years ago and has been hooked since.
“I think I’ll keep doing it as long as I can keep coming up with something to do,” she said.
“It’s a fun way to start the holiday season.”
Schultz said she continues to be impressed by the creativity of the decorating teams.
“It’s amazing that every year, they keep coming up with new ideas,” she said.
Each year, the festival takes thousands of volunteer hours to put together, Schultz estimated.
This year, the festival was working with a fewer volunteers due to the snowstorm that hit at the beginning of the week.
“We’ve put a lot together with fewer volunteers, and we’re ready to go,” she said.
The festival hosts several other events at the community center.
They are:
• Teddy Bear Tea, a tea party for kids from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and noon to 1:30 p.m. today. Tickets are sold out.
• Senior Breakfast, a breakfast for seniors at 8 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10.
• A Night to Branch Out, an all-class reunion for Port Angeles High School grads from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10. They can be purchased at the door, at the Toggery or at the Olympic Medical Center Foundation office, 928 Caroline St.
• Family Days, tree viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 for this event.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
