Twinkling lights, bright shiny stars, decorations galore, and a jolly white-bearded man in a signature red coat; all of this and more can be found at the festive Saint Vincent Auxiliary Festival of Trees on November 26-30 at the Ambassador Conference Center on Peach Street.

With more than 50 professionally decorated Christmas trees, children and adults will have plenty to admire. There are purple trees, Steelers trees, black and white trees, trees full of snowman and elves, and many more. As one of last year’s attendees, I couldn’t believe how many trees there were. Each one is so uniquely decorated that when it comes down to picking a favorite, the choice is nearly impossible to make.

Guests will be able to vote for their favorite trees. That’s right; you don’t have to pick just one. Upon entering the festival, you will receive several tickets to put in baskets to vote for your favorite tree.

There are also tickets on sale to win prizes. From wine gift baskets to spa gift sets, toy baskets to sports fanatics gift packages, there are plenty of prizes to satisfy everyone’s holiday taste. Each raffle ticket you buy benefits the Saint Vincent Auxiliary, and the more tickets you buy, the better your chances of winning.     

For the kids, they can crawl into the miniature version of Santa’s Shoppe where they can receive help from Santa’s very own elves. The elves will be there to help children pick out small gifts, around $10 and under, for their moms, dads, grandparents, and friends. Children will also be able to visit with Santa himself and even get their picture taken with him.

There will be live entertainment and holiday vendors to enjoy while taking in all of the festive surroundings, as well.  

This event is for guests of all ages and should be sure to put everyone (scrooge or not) in the mood for Christmas. I highly recommend this event as all proceeds benefit Saint Vincent’s Hospital. With gift baskets to win, Santa’s Shoppe, and great entertainment, this unique event is too great to miss, and the beautiful trees definitely make the whole visit worthwhile.

The cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 3-12. For more information about the Festival of Trees, visit their website at http://www.svhs.org/festivaloftrees/events.htm.