With Christmas just a few weeks away, the Festival of Trees has returned to the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives.
The fundraiser will begin Nov. 19 at the museum where dozens of beautifully decorated trees will be up for auction.
鈥淲e started with 14 trees and now we鈥檙e up to more than 40 trees so it鈥檚 really come a long way,鈥� said Anna Marie Couture, who鈥檚 organizing the event.
The St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church started the creative event in 2001, and in 2003 it became a joint fundraiser with the museum. In 2004 the museum took over the event and has become one of its most successful fundraisers.
Last year鈥檚 affair collected around $6,000 for the museum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 huge for us and very important. It鈥檚 events like this that keep us afloat,鈥� Couture said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also events like this that remind us how great the community is. We couldn鈥檛 do it without the community.鈥�
The highlight of the fundraiser鈥攂eyond the extravagantly decorated trees鈥攊s the wine and cheese reception. This year it will take place on Dec. 15 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the museum, giving community members an opportunity to get together and bid.
The highest bidders, as of 3 p.m. on Dec. 17, will take home the trees, along with the accompanying decorations and gifts found beneath them.
Each year the trees, both large and small, are decorated by individuals, organizations and businesses and donated to the museum for the annual fundraiser.
鈥淲e have a lot of the same people that come out every year鈥攊t鈥檚 kind of become a tradition for some people,鈥� Couture said. 鈥淧eople get very creative and have a lot of fun. I think that鈥檚 what makes this fundraiser so successful.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something different.鈥� 聽
The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
