WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Enter a sparkling winter village full of shops, a snowy gingerbread village and the sounds of the holidays, all surrounded by a forest of over 45 beautifully decorated Christmas trees. The 21st annual Festival of Trees is an excellent way for families to kick off the holiday season and help young patients at Brenner Children’s Hospital.
The 2008 Festival of Trees will be held at the Education Building on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds on Saturday, November 22 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday, November 23 from noon until 5 p.m. Proceeds from the event support programs at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Festival highlights include special displays of decorated miniature trees and wreaths, a children’s activities area, holiday entertainment and shopping. The centerpieces of the Festival are the 45 themed Christmas trees which are decorated by community volunteers and Friends of Brenner Children’s Hospital.
The Festival will have a wide range of specialty shops with an assortment of gifts. Items from Buttons, House of Plants, Sassy Selections, Dewey’s Bakery and The Pampered Chef will be among the many exciting shopping possibilities.
Shoppers will also be able to bid on gingerbread houses, available through silent auction in the Gingerbread Village. Beautifully decorated miniature trees and wreaths will also be available for purchase. For non-shoppers who just want to enjoy the holiday atmosphere, entertainment will be provided by the Carolina Children’s Choir, Downtown Elementary School Chorus, Snappy Tappers and Academy of Dance Arts.
Santa himself will arrive at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning with a special Santa’s Breakfast from 9-10 a.m. Santa will hear every child’s wish list, and his elf will take photos. Children under 12 may go to the children’s activities area to make crafts, play games or visit the Children’s Shop (no adults allowed) and purchase gifts, all under $6, for family, teachers, and friends.
“The Festival of Trees has always been one of the largest fundraisers for Brenner, and it is an event that brings the community together in order to raise money for programs that directly help patients and their families,” said Susan Kennedy, Director of Annual Support and Special Projects at the Medical Center. “We encourage everyone to come out, celebrate the holidays and support the pediatric programs at Brenner Children’s Hospital.”
Admission to the Festival of Trees is $6 for adults and $4 for children 2-12 years old. Tickets are sold only at the door. Parking is free. For more information on the Festival of Trees, contact Cindy Caines at (336) 716-7985.
# # #
Media Contact: Cindy Caines at (336) 716-7985
About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Brenner Children’s Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine and Piedmont Triad Research Park. The system comprises 1,154 acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993. Wake Forest Baptist is ranked 32nd in the nation by America’s Top Doctors for the number of its doctors considered best by their peers. The institution ranks in the top third in funding by the National Institutes of Health and 4th in the Southeastern United States in revenues from its licensed intellectual property.