The Christmas season in Bonnyville officially kicked off with the annual Festival of Trees.
Residents were able to bid on beautifully decorated trees, take photos with Santa, and do a little Christmas shopping from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at the Centennial Centre.
“It was awesome. It was busy. We had a lot of people come through and every event turned out really good,” expressed organizer Doreen Kushnir.
Almost all of the proceeds were put towards the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative. Project coordinator Megan Wakefield noted it’s an important initiative to support.
“It’s a really good cause for our community. Lots of youth suffer with mental health problems, and I think it’s really important for them to have that service in our community and not have to go somewhere else, like Edmonton, to access the service,” detailed Wakefield.
For resident Jasmin Arndt, attending the event has become a Christmas tradition for her and her family.
“We came for Santa Claus pictures with the kids, and to check out all the trees and goodies they have,” she said.
A new element this year was a fashion show, which featured models from Bonnyville Centralized High School’s (BCHS) grad class and students from Notre Dame High School (NDHS).
“I’ve always wanted to do a fashion show, and I thought it would be something nice to work with the high school,” Kushnir said, adding a donation would be made to the participating grad classes to thank them.
Wakefield added, “The fashion show, for a first time event, it actually went pretty good... Everyone loved it, and gave us praise on the way out.”
The trees were on display all weekend for anyone interested in placing an offer, and were a huge draw.
“(Everyone) loved the trees, and the bids were really good. Every (tree) had a bid, so it turned out pretty good,” Kushnir explained.
A popular draw for the kids was Santa’s Secret Shop, which was opened during the festival and allowed children to do some shopping of their own.
“I think it’s important for kids to get into the Christmas spirit, and understand the gift giving portion of Christmas. It’s not necessarily the important thing, but it’s a good way for kids to come out and it keeps the secret from all the family members,” detailed Wakefield.
Arndt noted, it’s her kids’ favourite part of the festival.
“They actually get the chance to go shopping, it’s a secret, and they’re always excited. That always keeps us coming back,” she expressed.
