FORKS — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Forks.
A small forest of 18 cheerfully lit and decorated trees will be on display during a viewing and an auction at the Forks 20th Annual Festival of Trees on Saturday and Sunday at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.
The 2015 theme for the festival is “My Favorite Things,” based on the song from “The Sound of Music.”
However, the tree themes are not necessarily related to the movie, said Mary Anne Earley, president of Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rain Forest, which organizes the annual festival.
Open houses for those who want to see the trees are planned Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Soroptimists will offer cookies, cider and coffee for donations while holiday music plays during the open houses.
Doors will open for the live auction at 1 p.m. Sunday, and the tree auction will begin at 2 p.m.
Most of the 18 trees have premiums attached — the buyer who wins the tree at auction also gets other prizes associated with the tree.
Earley said a tree by J&D Enterprises includes $1,800 in premium items, including a truckload of gravel, a gift certificate to Les Schwab and a jacket.
Twelve holiday wreaths will be sold during the auction.
“The wreaths are available at a lower price,” Earley said.
Also planned is a silent auction of gift baskets, toys, paintings, ceramics and items
created at the Olympic Corrections Center.
One tree will be raffled off; chances for that raffle are $1.
The raffle tree has a red and white theme, with a red and white children’s chair and table set built by inmates at the Olympic Corrections Center.
The auction and raffle are fundraisers for Soroptimists and will provide funding for service projects that benefit women and girls, both on the West End and worldwide, Earley said.
Local projects include providing rides for those who are traveling for cancer treatments, mammogram subsidies, quarterly middle school awards of gift certificates for books or a Kindle e-book, and other projects, she said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
