Contributed by Mike Feazel
Preparations are underway for Lake Monticello’s fifth annual Festival of Trees, Dec. 5 and 6 at the Ashlawn Clubhouse. Again, the Festival of Trees will feature free visits and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, beautifully decorated trees brimming with valuable gifts provided by local businesses, and a Festival dinner-dance.
Attendees can win the trees and all their prizes by buying raffle tickets and placing them under their favorite trees. The trees and Santa will be open to the public at the free Festival of Trees Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Those attending the Festival of Trees dinner-dance will get a preview of the trees Friday, Dec. 5, 6-9 p.m. There will be a choice of entrees, music by Sh’boom, dancing, free couple portraits and wonderful door prizes – including tickets to the Biltmore Christmas Home Tour and $250 towards lodging. Tickets are $65 per person, with a limit of 127 tickets. The dinner-dance usually sells out quickly.
The Festival of Trees is a major fundraiser for the Lake Monticello Community Foundation, supporting their many good works at the Lake and throughout Fluvanna County. In the past year, the Foundation gave three scholarships to local high school students, funded the mobility mat at the Main Beach, and made large contributions to community service groups such as All Blessings Flow, Meals on Wheels, the fire and rescue squad, food pantries, the Fluvanna SPCA, Dolly Parton Imagination Library and others.
Festival of Trees dinner-dance tickets are available by emailing astewart52@gmail.com.
