Festival of Wonder

Designer trees have fetched as much as $3,000 at past Festival of Trees events. JUNIOR LEAGUE OF THE SPACE COAST

Christmas traditions take root at Festival of Trees

A closeup of a tree designed for a previous Festival of Trees shows the quality of the designer trees that will be up for auction at this year’s festival. MG INTERIORS

Just around Thanksgiving for the past four decades, a glorious forest of shimmering evergreens pops up overnight at the Wickham Park Community Center. Each is unique and gorgeous — this is the annual Festival of Trees, the Christmas tree-intensive event that is the signature fundraiser for the Junior League of the Space Coast.

Now in its 41st year, the festival is firmly rooted in the holiday traditions of many Brevard families, as well as the League’s more than 100 members, who spend significant time organizing and orchestrating the event.

“The most special part of Festival of Trees is hearing all the stories from those who have been attending the event for years,” said member Jessie Boyd, a frequent volunteer. “We’ve witnessed families grow and evolve — parents bringing their children and now returning as new grandparents or as parents themselves. This event holds many cherished family memories for members of our community, and it is those stories that inspire me to participate in the Festival of Trees year after year.”

The Festival of Trees has been a tradition for Nicole Gray ever since she was a little girl. She now brings her daughters.

“The magic of walking into a space with colorful, uniquely decorated trees is something ingrained into my mind and is something I look forward to every year,” Gray said. “The time and effort everyone puts into this event is truly special. The raffles are so fun to do and it is so exciting getting a call from the Junior League saying you have won a tree, wreath or raffle. As long as they have it, we will be there.”

Volunteers Sydney Lutz, Dana Morgan, Ellen Rockwell, Anna Marie Curry, Mrs. Santa Claus [Enie Windle], Katie Ourano, Brie Redfern, Barbara Fox and Mandi Johnson are some of the individuals who make Festival of Trees a success year after year. TOM WILBY PHOTOS

HELPING OTHERS

Mrs. Claus and young Alexander Johnson are making ‘nice cream’ in preparation for a Cooking with Mrs. Claus class.

In the past, the event has raised as much as $30,000 for the nonprofit’s many efforts to promote and perpetuate social change on the Space Coast. The League’s projects range from its first, which focused on day care, to bringing art, instrument instruction and history education to the community, assisting the county to develop Erna Nixon Hammock Park in West Melbourne, aiding physically handicapped children, drug education and prevention, literacy, domestic violence, parenting education and more. The League was instrumental in the development of The Haven for Children, a shelter and residential care facility for abused, neglected or abandoned children, and Club Esteem, which encourages youth in under-resourced communities to achieve academic and personal excellence through mentoring, tutoring and enrichment programming. Last year’s Festival of Trees helped with school-based food pantries.

This year’s festival, set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Wickham Park Community Center, will continue the winter wonderland tradition with dazzling trees, gorgeous wreaths, delicious treats, a vendor marketplace and family-friendly activities. Expected are 15 designer trees, each six feet tall or higher, plus a mini forest of more than 20 tabletop trees, as well as wreaths.

Designed by businesses or community organizations, the trees reflect unbounded creativity. While this year’s themes remain a surprise until the day of the festival, Leigh McElroy, director of prevention services at Eckerd Connects, hinted at what to expect from the tree decorated by the organization, which provides job training, career coaching and skills development for youth and adults.

“Our theme is resiliency, and we’ll have youth in our services make ornaments that represent what makes them resilient,” McElroy said. “We’ll also have bright colors of blue and green to pull it all together.”

The design firm of MG Interiors will also be creating one of the large trees.

“Our firm is often hired for holiday installations, and we felt this would be such a fun opportunity to showcase the unique tree designs we create for our clients,” said owner Maureen Gerrity. “An MG Interiors tree is highly layered, curated, and intentional — much like our interior design work. Because we’re known for elevated design that feels timeless, effortless, and connected to the landscape around it, we chose to design a coastal-inspired tree that celebrates the beauty of Florida’s east coast. Our tree is so much more than ornaments. We start with a color story, then thoughtfully layer in ornaments, ribbon, florals, and even props to add depth and dimension. We can’t wait to reveal our tree to the public and are so excited that someone in our community will get to take it home.”

If this tree from a previous project is any indication, this year’s tree from MG Interiors should be one of the most sought-after at the Festival of Trees. MG INTERIORS

RAISING AWARENESS

The tree will not only make a unique Christmas decoration for the buyer, but it will also raise awareness of the organization among the 1,500 or more attendees expected at the festival.

“We truly look forward to this opportunity with the Junior League,” McElroy said. “They are giving local nonprofits a great way to connect with the community, and we’re excited to show more about what we do. It’s because of civic groups like the Junior League that we can bring awareness to needs in the community and increase support.”

When it comes to themes for the Festival of Trees, the choices are limitless. Past attendees have snapped up trees that celebrated the charms of Peppa Pig, the elegance of the Great Gatsby era and the bling of Tiffany’s. Hyper-local favorites included the “Space Tree,” sporting a 3D-printed topper of the Space Shuttle, and the “Hurricane Tree,” a showstopper of storm humor, with limbs all leaning one way, a skirt fashioned from a blue tarp, ornaments made from shingles and soffit pieces, and a flashlight for a topper.

“Everything is done exceptionally well,” said League president Anna Maria Curry.

The tabletop trees and wreaths are raffled to lucky winners, and at the end of the festival, the designer trees go to the highest bidder, fetching anything from a couple hundred dollars to approximately $3,000.

“It all depends on the year, the theme and the spending habits of the attendees,” Curry said.

SPECIAL GUEST

The festival is the kind of feel-good event that naturally attracts that most cherished holiday cheer enhancer, Santa Claus. Santa will be on hand, together with a professional photographer, to capture family memories. But Santa will not be the only Claus in attendance — Mrs. Claus has signed up to lead “Cooking with Mrs. Claus,” an event that showcases how kids and their families can eat smart and healthy, even during the holidays. Mrs. Claus will be busy, leading 30-minute cooking lessons and sharing stories of the North Pole from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Recommended for ages 5 to 12, the event is free. “Cooking with Mrs. Claus” is part of the League’s “Kids in the Kitchen” initiative to promote healthy eating habits.

How is the League able to entice Mrs. Claus to make an appearance?

“Our sustainer member, Enie Windle, is very, very good friends with Mrs. Claus,” Curry said. “We’re so lucky to have her make that connection.”

Brevard is indeed fortunate that the Junior League of the Space Coast has the “pull” to host Santa and Mrs. Claus each year — and that it can make a stunning forest of wonders appear every holiday season for one amazing day. Leave it to the League to create countless Christmas memories and unite people of all backgrounds in the spirit of the holidays.

“The Festival of Trees is a staple of the community in terms of the season,” Curry said.

There is no shortage of gorgeous options at the Festival of Trees. JUNIOR LEAGUE OF THE SPACE COAST PHOTOS

Come to the Festival of Trees

Tickets to the Festival of Trees are a $10 minimum donation for each attendee age 13 and up. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
To purchase tickets, visit spacecoast.jl.org/festival-of-trees.

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