Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned tree decorating party? The smell of evergreen, the twinkling lights, the bags of dog poo?
At the Festival of Trees, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, attendees never know what kind of creative decorations they’ll come across while strolling through the festive forest.
Running until January 9 at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, this BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (BCCHF) fundraiser attracts sponsors from all over the city, eager to show off their tree-trimming prowess. And sometimes they go to great lengths to stand out from the crowd.
“There was a tree last year done by a dog-related company that was decorated with doggy bags, as if there was poo in there,” recalls Lorri Hewitt, BCCHF assistant to philanthropy.
With over 75 trees on display, the competition can be fierce and forces sponsors to get creative.
“There was also a tree last year that was upside-down. That one really stuck in my mind,” says Hewitt, who, along with organizing the festival, has strived to make visiting the trees a tradition in her family.
After all, the Festival of Trees isn’t all about outrageous decor. According to Medone Pelan, head of the Fairmont’s tree-trimming committee, it’s really about building community in the festive season.
“It’s really a community event,” says Pelan. “It touches everybody in a special way. It’s easy to embrace that. And it’s for a such a good cause.”
The crew at the Fairmont are especially dedicated to the event, spending months making the decorations for their sponsored tree by hand. It’s no wonder Pelan carefully guards the secret of this year’s tree theme.
“Unfortunately,” says Pelan, “we can’t disclose that until the day of decorating.”
And those that think the fun of this event is all for the kids, think again. Pelan says that the night the trees go up is a highlight for everyone.
“My personal favourite part of the Festival of Trees is the night of decorating; seeing everyone in a flurry of activity,” she says. “There’s so much excitement in the air, and it’s the moment when you see the hotel transformed from the everyday. It’s just something magical.”
Go to bcchf.ca/fotvictoria for more info on this free event.