| This year’s Gualala Arts’ Festival of Trees promises
to be “bigger and better than ever, with something for everyone”,
so says Jan Harris, Festival Steering Committee Chair, who referred to herself
as Mother Christmas and confesses to being addicted to the holiday season. “There
will be new features like the Shops & Galleries Holiday Showcase and the children’s
Magical Gingerbread House, as well as past favorites like the decorated tree and
gingerbread house silent auction and the craft faire.” Harris, who is also
the Executive Director of the Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce, said the first
Festival of Trees was modeled after a SF Bay Area fundraiser. This third year’s
event hopes to attract both residents and visitors alike and is planned to coordinate
seamlessly with other Mendonoma “Christmas on the Coast” activities.
Kicking off with an Opening Reception from 5-8 p.m., Saturday, November 11
in Gualala Art Center’s Burnett Gallery, local merchants offer a Holiday
Showcase “preview” of merchandise and gift ideas that shoppers will
find in Mendonoma coast stores. In addition, those attending the opening can order
decorated wreaths from Santa’s Greenhouse in the Jacob Foyer for later pickup.
On Friday, November 24, at 11 a.m., visitors will find Gualala Arts Center
decked out for the holidays and Coleman Auditorium transformed into the turn-of-the-century
Kringle’s Craft Village with costumed artisan and craft booths along Gingerbread
House Lane complete with the area’s lowest priced houses, albeit baked.
The Fantasy Forest will be full of custom decorated trees. Both the trees and
the gingerbread houses are for sale by Silent Auction, which ends Sunday, November
26 at 1 p.m., or can be purchased immediately at the “Buy It Now”
tag price.
Kringle’s Village “shoppes” will feature local artisans,
many demonstrating their crafts, including Jenny Henderson’s Fancy Fibres,
Cheri Snyder’s Baubles, Bangles & Beads, Roy Austin’s Fine Wood
Works, Chiappa’s Clayworks, The Basket Shoppe and more. In the Jacob Foyer,
The Merry Mantle parlour will have handcrafted stockings, holiday home décor
and ornaments from the Elves’ Workshop volunteers. Santa’s Greenhouse
will be stocked with decorated wreaths, garlands, centerpieces, ornaments, poinsettias,
and Yule Logs by Marva Jacobs.
No one need go thirsty or hungry with Albert’s Alehouse offering mulled
wine, hard-spiced cider and organic microbrews with a variety of Pumblechook’s
Tommy-knocker “pasties” in the pub garden, and Tabitha Tubney’s
Tearoom’s will have coffee, hot chocolate, hot and chilled cider and of
course a selection of fine teas to accompany freshly made biscotti and a cookie
plate.
The Ernest Bloch Bell Ringer Quintet, Wayne Harris’ Trois Guitars, Keith
Jacobsen ‘On the Keys’ and other live entertainers will be performing
on the stage at various times throughout the Festival.
New for school-age children…through the Giant Candy Cane arch…up
the stairs and into the Magical Gingerbread House, to a special area where Santa’s
elves will entertain children with art projects and other age appropriate activities,
including a Story Hour.
Hours are Friday 11a.m. - 4 p.m. closing early to accommodate Gualala’s
“Pathway of Light” and Town Lighting at dusk, and on Saturday 10 a.m.
- 4 p.m. closing in time for all to get the best viewing along Highway 1 for the
Gualala Festival Committee’s 3rd Annual Lighted Truck Parade at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, Santa Claus plans to pay a visit the Festival at 12 noon, the Silent
Auction of Trees and Gingerbread Houses ends at 1 p.m. and the Shopper’s
Extravaganza Tree(full of gift certificates donated by local merchants) drawing
is at 2 p.m. (Winner need not be present) which concludes the Festival. Auction
winners may pick up from 2 - 4 p.m. on Sunday. Raffle tickets are on sale now
at Gualala Arts Center, and throughout the festival until the drawing.
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