Festival of Trees set for November 29

The seventh annual Festival of Trees event will take place Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. at St. Jude Parish Center, 440 7th Ave.

Mary Jane Borlaug, board chair for the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, said that community residents or businesses decorate the trees that are on display for the event. The trees will then be auctioned off to help raise money for the club's expansion project.

"We leave it totally up to them for how they want to decorate them," Borlaug said.

Borlaug also said that in addition to the trees being auctioned off, businesses around town donate items for the auction as well.

"(For example,) Valley Furniture is going to be auctioning off a fireplace," she added.

Borlaug said that her favorite part about the Festival of Trees is seeing the variety of decorative trees. She said she wants to thank the community for continually helping them.

Kris Shaw, of the Atrium Merchants Association, said that her group's tree is "Fairy Christmas." This tree includes a variety of items such as original artwork by Mary Nault of Artitudes Gallery and Shaw, who owns High Plains Gallery, and gift certificates to various businesses, such as Grateful Bread and Havre Book Exchange. Additionally, the tree has a sprinkling of fairy dust and has hand-painted gourds attached throughout.

"I like supporting the Boys & Girls Club, that's why we do it every year," Shaw said. "It is a fun way for the Atrium Merchants to let people know what is in the Atrium."

Susan Hanson said that she and her husband, Paul, have created a specialty tree for the festival. The theme that they came up with is "Country Cowboy Christmas."

Hanson said that she and her husband both come from farming and ranching backgrounds, so they decided to create a tree that reflected a western-country style.

"The branches look like horseshoes. It is very unique," she added. "It's got little tealights, instead of electric lights. ... The tree skirt is Western."

This is Hanson and her husband's first time decorating a tree for this event.

"We have always thought the Boys & Girls Club has been a good thing for the community. Our grandchildren have gone there and they just love it - and so we think it is a good thing to donate to, and to be supportive of," she said.

Hanson supports the expansion of the Boys & Girls Club facility.

"If you don't get in there right away and register your children, you know - they only have room for so many," she said. "It is nice that they can expand. It's a great thing."

Tickets for the Festival of Trees are available at the Boys & Girls Club, which is at 500 1st Ave.