Festival of Trees Has a New Home 

Visitors Enjoyed Nearly Fifty Trees, Wreaths and Gingerbread Houses Designed by Local Groups at the Festival's new home, the Visual Arts Center.  This 3rd annual event raised nearly $22,000 for Bethel Village for women and children.  Judged by the Visual Arts Center staff and volunteers, "NATURE" themes seemed to top the list in this year's contest.  Here are a few of the winners.

A beautiful tree titled "A Ralph Lauren Christmas for the Classic Hunter and the Elegant Wife" stole the show with its bronze and natural colored ornaments, stuffed pheasants and feathers sticking out from the top of a beautiful bow.  The tree was sold with its two matching wall-hangings.

First Place School Tree By Chautauqua Learn and Serve School

This "Christmas in the Pines" tree featured glittery pine cones and a gold bow atop a 6-foot tree.  The ornaments were created by students in the newly established school for the physically and mentally disabled, led by Cynthia McCauley.

Left, First Place "Reindeer Season Closed" was a whimsical take on hunting and fishing.  Ornaments with this theme adorned a vine-made tree atop a camouflage tree-skirt.  

Right, the second place table-top tree was made entirely of pinecones for a fresh and natural look. Even the star was made from pine cones.

The first place winner in the youth division was created by a student in Bay High School's Culinary Arts Class led by Amanda Sorenson.  This cute house was complete with a pretzel fence and furniture inside a colorful home.

2nd place was taken by Maggie, a student of Bethel Village.  The Bethel Village girls started the gingerbread tradition at the Festival of Trees last year when they created several, which turned out to be very cute and a show-stopper!