October 19, 1998 - 5:00pm
The Festival of Trees is headed for a big year.
Tickets went on sale last week for the Festival’s highlight pre-Christmas event, the Gala Dinner, Auction and Dance on Nov. 28, and all 320 tickets sold in four days!
The Gala has sold out for the last two years, but organizers say this was the fastest sell-out to date.
The Gala is a black-tie event at Beban Park, with guests seated among lavishly decorated Christmas trees and other seasonal decorations. The evening starts with champagne and a deluxe four-course meal, and builds up to a major auction at which guests bid for many of the Christmas trees. Last year the auction helped raise $25,000 for the Malaspina University-College Foundation, with trees selling for between $350 and $1,200.
One guest has already bid $1,100 for a new attraction at the Gala. The Premier Table will feature special place decorations, flatware, glasses and cutlery which the 8 guests take home afterwards, plus champagne, a personal table butler, limousine service to and from the gala, and special dessert and chocolates.
Also new this year will be the Diamond in a Champagne Glass - 200 special glasses of champagne will be on sale, 199 of which will have a brilliant cubic zirconium attached, while the one remaining has a $3,000 half-carat diamond.
The Gala is just one of several special events during the four days of the Festival of Trees. There is also an opening lunch and Home For The Holidays night Thursday night Nov. 26, Family Night is Friday night, and there are children’s special events Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The Festival is open to general admission Thursday and Friday afternoons, Saturday until 3p.m. and Sunday until 4p.m.
For further information call the Festival of Trees office at 758-1343.
Tags: In the Community
