Two annual Festivals of Trees are offering virtual and socially distanced Northern Michigan events during Thanksgiving weekend. Here’s how to participate in the Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County Festival of Trees and Zonta Club’s 2020 Festival of Trees & Yuletide Emporium.
Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County Festival of Trees
Benzie Area Historical Museum & Habitat for Humanity
The Benzie Area Historical Museum will be hosting the Festival of Trees on Thanksgiving weekend to benefit the Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County. The three-day event will be held Friday, November 27, 4–7 p.m.; Saturday, November 28, 12–6 p.m. and Sunday, November 29, 12–3 p.m.
Organizers have creatively revamped this annual fundraising event by moving it out-of-doors to the Museum’s Agriculture Pavilion and offering online bidding only. Christmas trees and wreaths, beautifully decorated and donated by dozens of community members, may be viewed online or in-person with appropriate distancing measures. Face masks are required for in-person viewing.
Volunteers decorate both real and artificial trees and wreaths as well as table decorations with and without live greenery. All decorations and trees are given a minimum bid with visitors bidding in an online auction for the pieces they enjoy most. On Sunday, the highest bidder for each decorated item will win a tree, wreath or table decoration to take home for the holidays.
Proceeds from the auctioned trees, wreaths and table decorations will benefit Habitat for Humanity, and door donations from the three-day event will benefit Benzie Area Historical Society.
The Benzie Area Historical Museum is located at 6941 Traverse Avenue in Benzonia. The event is being held in the Agriculture Pavilion behind the museum on Milliron Lane.
If you are interested in volunteering at the event or have any questions, please contact Kathi Houston, Habitat for Humanity Festival of Trees chairperson, at 231.510.1721 or Barbara Mort, executive director of the Benzie Area Historical Society, at 231.882.5539.
For more information about the event, visit benziehabitat.org.
2020 Festival of Trees & Yuletide Emporium
Zonta Club of Traverse City
The 2020 Festival of Trees is going virtual! The Zonta Club of Traverse City is pleased to continue its annual Festival of Trees tradition from November 27–30 in a new safe, responsible format.
Introducing the Online Yuletide Emporium! This year, spend Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday shopping local for a great cause. Choose from hundreds of professionally handcrafted holiday designs including beautiful wreaths and Christmas trees, festive tabletop and wall décor and amazing gift baskets—all from the comfort of home.
In addition to Zonta’s own community grant program, three local nonprofit organizations will directly benefit from funds raised through this year’s Festival of Trees event. The following organizations have been selected by Zonta members as the 2020 Festival of Trees community nonprofit partners:
- Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center
- FEEDTC
- Angel Care Preschool & Childcare
The Festival of Trees supports The Zonta Club of Traverse City’s mission of empowering women through service and advocacy right here in our local community.
Mark your calendars for November 27–30 to support Zonta and these great local nonprofits by shopping and celebrating from home with us.
For all the event details and the link to the Online Yuletide Emporium, please visit zontacluboftraversecity.org/fot.