Windham Hill UCC’s popular ‘Festival of Trees’ returns this weekend

By Ed Pierce

If you’re seeking a fun-filled family activity to get in the holiday spirit close to home this weekend, the Fifth Annual Christmas Festival of Trees will be conducted from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4 at Fellowship Hall, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center Road in Windham.

The Fifth Annual Christmas Festival of Trees will be held in
the Fellowship Hall at the Windham Hill United Church of
Christ, 140 Windham Center Road, Windham from Friday,
Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 4. COURTESY PHOTO    

This highly anticipated and popular event is a showcase for local merchants and organizations as well as serving as a fundraiser for the Windham Hill United Church of Christ, the founding church of Windham and a historic landmark for the town. Proceeds from the Festival of Trees will benefit the church budget and mission projects within the community and beyond.

Festival hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. On Sunday, Dec. 4, the festival will be open from noon to 4 p.m. with the Grand Drawing of Winners to be conducted at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The church’s Fellowship Hall will be decorated for the holiday season and refreshments will be available.

There will be 20 decorated Christmas trees with LED lights, each one donated by a local businesses or a resident or family.

Each tree’s sponsor will decorate the tree and then put gifts on and around the tree, with many gifts coming from their store or organization. Drawing winners will receive the tree itself, with all of its lights and ornaments, and all of the gifts on the tree branches, and all of the gifts under the tree.

In the past, Windham UCC Festival of Trees drawing recipients took home everything from toys and gift items to kitchen supplies and jewelry and there is always great excitement leading up to the Grand Drawing on Sunday afternoon.

Admission to the Festival of Trees is free and everyone is welcome to visit to see these beautiful trees and review the gifts from the tree sponsors.

Tickets for the Grand Drawing will be available and for sale for 50 cents each at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ during the event. One ticket will be drawn for each tree at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

The winners will need to claim their tree and gifts by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The annual Festival of Trees event is a fundraising activity of Windham Hill United Church of Christ to benefit their mission program featuring local, national, and international missions including Heifer International; the Root Cellar; Windham Food Pantry; Church World Service; SERRV; and many other charitable organizations.

Windham Hill United Church of Christ is an open and affirming church, welcoming all who would come. The church was founded in 1743 and has been central to the life of Windham throughout Windham’s history as a town and a community. <