Items available at the 2024 Festival of Trees July 20 at Betty Ehart Senior Center. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen
An apron in the 2024 Festival of Trees July 20 at Betty Ehart Senior Center. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen
By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
C’YA
Just 22 days from today, the Festival of Trees, a 23-year community tradition, celebrates the holiday season a little early and a little different this year. The regular November event goes all out celebrating summer with a beach vibe that includes a variety of gift items, less formal photos with Santa and more on July 20.
This year there will be a host of traditional and new vendors with local non-profits voicing their assets and selling some fun items to benefit their cause.
The Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO) and Champions of Youth Ambitions (C’YA) have hosted the family friendly event for many years in a way that benefits all ages from youth to senior citizens. There’s no admission fee, although non-perishable food items as well as food and toy items for pets will make the day of many. Boxed and canned foods will benefit the food pantries at both senior centers and C’YA’s Vets with Pets activities.
As every year, the Christmas in July Festival will host a giant mini mall, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both levels inside the Betty Ehart Senior Center. The event will feature everything from a bake sale, ice cream and cotton candy to a variety of silent auction items including small holiday trees, decorations and gifts.
The raffle this year will feature more items than ever before with tickets available for just $1. A signature theme of the event is that the final item raffled off is a holiday tree. The idea is that a simple $1 donation not only benefits many throughout the community but can greatly benefit at least one donor.
The next few weeks will highlight a variety of the items and information available at the July 20 event. Since the team is trying so many new things and at a different time of year, they want to shout it from the rooftops. The silent auction and raffle ticket sales begin the week of July 15 during regular senior center business hours. The week ends with the grand event and will be followed by the raffle drawing for items. You need not be present to win and the winners for all items will be called starting July 22. The pick-up time for the silent auction can take place on event Saturday, but silent auction and raffle items will need to be collected soon after the event date.
Jeannette Urbina with “Beads me up Scotty” is ready to show her seasonal assortment of handmade items.
“I started working with beads about 4 years ago by watching videos on YouTube,” Urbina said. “My favorite items are jewelry because they sell the best and I can make a lot in a short amount of time.”
Annette Martinez will join the Festival as a first-time vendor, hosting a variety of items.
“I started making macrame lanyards for people at work and then got interested in making a variety of different macrame items,” Martinez said. “I then got interested in sewing and started making different things as well.”
Handmade purses by Kathy White. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen
Kathy White will have handmade purses and more available. What started out as a project to design a simple bag for her mom to carry yarn has yielded more than 200 bags and growing. White will also have cross-stitch, bookmarks, ornaments and a few handmade wooden pieces made by her husband.
Those wishing to donate trees, wreaths or other holiday decorations can call the Betty Ehart Senior Center at 505.662.8920.
