Festival of Trees set to run Saturday at end of holiday kickoff activities

Havre Daily News staff

Most of the trees are ready for the ninth annual Festival of Trees, one of the last events for Friday and Saturday's major kickoff of the Christmas season.

The fundraiser for the Boy's & Girls Club of the Hi-Line at 500 First Avenue starts at 7 p.m. in the club's Multi-purpose Room, following events throughout the area starting Friday.

Chinook holds its kickoff Friday, and Havre's Town Square on the 300 Block of First Street will be busy all Saturday afternoon.

In Havre's Festival of Trees, one of the major fundraisers for Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, local businesses, organizations and residents decorate trees, often adding themed merchandise with the tree, to be auctioned off at the fundraiser.

Some of the trees are valued at more than $1,000 with the tree, decorations and merchandise included.

The event includes socializing and snacks and desserts served to the people attending, as well as the actual auctioning of the trees.

Festival of Trees has provided significant funds to the club, including help paying for its expansion and renovation that created the Multi-purpose Room, used for events like the festival, and other facilities at the club, such as its playground and garden and its kitchen and eating area.

Other events are scheduled throughout the day in Havre, with more area events starting this week as well.

Chinook's Parade of LIghts and Christmas Stroll is set for Friday, including its own Festival of Trees event.

Chinook's events start with sled races at 1 p.m., horse drawn wagon rides from 1 to 3 p.m. Story Time at the Library at 2 p.m., and a bell choir starting at 2 p.m. also at the library.

A taco feed starts at 5 p.m. at the Chinook Eagles Club, and its parade starts with a lineup at 5:30 p.m. and Santa and Mrs. Claus appearing at the Parade of Lights that starts at 6 p.m.

The Chinook Festival of Trees starts at 7:15 p.m. and the day includes free admission to the Blaine County Library and pictures with Santa throughout the day.

Pictures with Santa begins Friday at Havre's Holiday Village Mall.

Saturday, before the Festival of Trees begins, Pictures with Santa continues at the Holiday Village and the Atrium Mall is holding a craft show and sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At Town Square, registration for the Polar Plunge starts at noon, with the actual jumping into a vat of ice water starting at 2 p.m.

Registration for the Santa Run starts at 4 p.m., with the one-mile run beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The tree lighting events begin at 5 p.m., including caroling with members of the Havre High School choir, vendors selling merchandise and refreshments, the arrival of Santa and the actual lighting of the tree.