Trees, wreaths and ribbons will cover the walls and floors of the Everson Museum of Art, a longtime tradition for the Syracuse community.

The 32nd annual Festival of Trees begins Thursday with a preview gala and will span 10 days. Christmas decor donated from the community will be displayed throughout the museum. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the displayed holiday decor to benefit the Everson.

About 14,000 to 16,000 people visit the Festival of Trees. The event is the one of largest fundraisers for the museum, usually raising between $40,000 to $50,000.

“There are a lot of people who are working on putting this event together,” said Pattie Miller, chair of the festival. “There’s a lot that goes into it, and everyone does a wonderful job.”

The 10-day festival will also include a Teddy Bear Tea event, a fashion show, a community party and Santa Saturday.

“We’re very excited about the trees as always, but this year we’re really working hard to promote the other programs that we have for people to come to,” Miller said.

The event at the museum in Syracuse features trees, wreaths and other holiday decorations that have been donated by the community. The decorations are sold at the event to benefit the museum. Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

The first Sunday is Teddy Bear Tea at the Hotel Syracuse in the Grand Ballroom.

“People bring their little children. It’s adorable, and it’s such a special and wonderful event,” Miller said.

The following Tuesday is the Holiday Luncheon and Fashion Show, featuring clothing from Aurora designer Jane Morgan.

The newest event this year is Engaging Neighbors, which will include entertainment from a local Nepalese dance troupe, an Indian youth dance troupe and a Jewish Klezmer band.

“One of the missions of the museum is to have greater community involvement and visibility, and the museum’s mission is to really bring more people from diverse backgrounds, of diverse ages, into the museum,” Miller said.

Everson reached out to community organizations including Catholic Charities and InterFaith Works to donate tickets for refugees and other members who benefit from their work. The event aims to bring the community together and “introduce them to the Everson” and other cultural institutions, said Barry Miller, Pattie’s husband.

“Anytime we can take a cultural institution like the Everson and open its doors a little wider and pull people in who might not otherwise come, I just think that those are opportunities that we should take,” Barry said.

Published on November 26, 2017 at 9:11 pm