By Heather Michon
Correspondent
The weekend weather was gray and dreary, but inside Lake Monticello’s Ashlawn Clubhouse, all was merry and bright.
The Terrace Room was transformed on Saturday (Dec. 1) into a mini winter wonderland of tabletop trees loaded with innovative ornaments and lights, as the Lake celebrated its fourth annual–and aptly named–Festival of Trees.
“Local businesses adopt the trees and decorate them, and hopefully give people an idea of what they do,” said Alan Stewart, who helped establish the event in 2019.
Many of the trees included gift certificates and prizes, and visitors could purchase raffle tickets in the boxes of their choice. Raffle winners got to take home not just the prizes, but the trees themselves.
Among the participants were Local Eats, Avenue Realty, Long and Foster, Ivy Rehab, State Farm, Edward Jones, Sweet Arts Emporium, Two Labs Coffee, Cunningham Creek Winery, Hardware Hills Winery, Thistle and Stag Meadery, and Broody Hen Bakery.
Happy Tails donated two trees: one for dogs and one for cats.
Lake Monticello clubs, including the Basket Weavers, the Piece Makers, the Gifted Ladies, and the painting group also contributed.
The event, along with a dinner and dance on Friday night, raised funds for the Lake Monticello Community Foundation.
Earlier this year, the LMCF opened an all-inclusive playground within the Lake, and in recent weeks has given sizable contributions to the Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Meals on Wheels, the Fluvanna SPCA, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Among their upcoming projects are the construction of kayak ramps to make the Lake more accessible for boaters.
