Christmas tree festival celebrates 20th anniversary. With a record number of glittering evergreens, one of the UK’s oldest Christmas tree festivals is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Last year, 12,000 people took in the show at St. Thomas’s Church in the heart of Salisbury, Wiltshire, which draws thousands of visitors.
Since its start, the event has raised an estimated £250,000 for charitable causes, and this year, 104 Christmas trees have been adorned by local organizations.
According to organizer Peter Horwood, the goal is to highlight the best parts of Christmas, such as community, sharing, caring, and its beauty.
Local nonprofits, community organizations, clubs, assisted living facilities, and educational institutions decorate and occasionally create the trees from scratch.
Reusing materials and cycling specific themes to make a statement are prioritized.
A school disassembled an old bed and utilized the wood to create a tree form, while the local foodbank made a tree out of used silverware with a cookie cutter star at the top.
Additionally, visitors can take in a music program that features choir and musical performances all day long.
Although the trees stand for a variety of causes, the festival selects charity each year to help with the money it gets from attendees.
This year’s focus is on the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) debt center in Salisbury and Morning Star Salisbury, which assists people who are homeless or battling addiction.
“Our tree is named Hope and Freedom,” stated Charlotte Bell of CAP. In the ten years that we have been in business, each of our 116 little butterflies stands for a client who has paid off their debt.
Volunteers created the larger butterflies.
“It really is that journey of transformation, of being trapped in debt and into the freedom of being debt-free,” she stated.
Morning Star used recycled pallet wood to create its tree, which was inspired by the Silent Night carol.
It’s a community-wide event,” stated Rev. Canon Kelvin Inglis.
“As a municipal church in the heart of the city, I always believe that our purpose is to serve.
“We’re here to support and help the people of this city in their daily living.”
The celebration lasts till December 8.
