Windham residents know that the holiday season has officially arrived each year when the popular Annual Christmas Festival of Trees makes its return to the Windham Hill United Church of Christ.
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| The Eighth Annual Festival of Trees will be held Dec. 6 through Dec. 8 at Fellowship Hall, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center Road in Windham. The drawing for prizes will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Fellowship Hall. COURTESY PHOTO |
This much-anticipated event for the community of Windham is a showcase for local merchants and organizations as well as a fundraiser for Windham Hill United Church of Christ, the founding church of Windham and a historic landmark for the town.
Festival hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. On Sunday, Dec. 8, 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, Dec. 8.
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 lights, and each one will be donated by a local business or by individuals in Windham.
In keeping up a tradition, Windham Hill UCC will once again sponsor a special tree to honor the memory of the late Bob Turner, a Windham Hill UCC church member who came up with the idea to create this popular annual event. Turner, who died in January 2023, based his idea on an event that he participated in when he lived in Brewer.
The tree sponsor will decorate the tree and then put gifts on and around the tree, many from their store or organization. Winners will receive the tree itself, with its lights and ornaments, all the gifts hanging on the tree, and all the wrapped gifts placed under the tree.
At each of the previous Christmas Festival of Trees events, the drawing winners took home everything from toys and gift items to kitchen supplies and jewelry and there’s always great excitement and anticipation when each Grand Drawing is conducted.
Admission to the Christmas Festival of Trees is free and everyone is welcome to visit the church and take in the sights of these decorated Christmas trees with the colorfully wrapped gifts underneath from the event’s tree sponsors. There will be drawing tickets on sale for 50 cents each. A bucket will be in front of each tree display and one ticket will be drawn for each tree at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The winners do not have to be present for the drawing but will need to claim their tree and gifts by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Along with the Christmas tree displays, visitors to the event will find refreshments available in the church’s café. Available treats will include Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Dogs, Fish Chowder, Tacos, Whoopie Pies, and a variety of other sweet goodies.
Event officials say that by participating, not only do you have a chance to win big, but you'll also be helping to support the church budget and community mission projects, spreading joy where it's needed most. Some Windham UCC mission projects include donations to the Windham Food Pantry, helping the homeless, participating in the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing programs, and providing meals for local families in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The church’s charitable work also involves collecting donations for fire victims, hurricane victims and those affected by other natural disasters.
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. <
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