The first West Hartford Festival of Trees, held at First Church in West Hartford Center, attracted more than 700 Holiday Stroll visitors, and raised more than $2,400.

By Joy Taylor. Photos by Ginny Vocelli and Amy Melivin

West Hartford Festival of Trees at First Church. Photo by Ginny Vocelli

Some creative people at First Church seized an opportunity to benefit from the holiday traffic generated by the annual West Hartford Center Holiday Stroll by providing a warm, festive, and community-minded attraction to people of all ages.

Thanks to leadership by church members Kim Carbone, Colleen Mitchell, Dawne Quinn and Ginny Vocelli (plus 50 volunteers), the West Hartford Festival of Trees was even bigger than the organizers could have hoped.

Residents and local businesses were creative and generous with trees, gift cards, and donations, and nearly 40 trees were on display. It was even overheard that this festival was better – or at least rivaled – the annual event in Hartford.

The First Church Adult Choir performed holiday music, as did the CitySingers and the Choral Club of Hartford, a perfect complement to the holiday atmosphere.

Thanks  to the generosity of the 700-plus people who visited and supported the event with their monetary donations, more than $2,400 was raised. Beneficiaries include, in alphabetical order: Covenant to Care for Children, FoodShare, Fresh Place, Gifts of Love, Habitat for Humanity, Interval House, Loaves & Fishes, My Sister’s Place and South Park Inn.

Organizers are already thinking ahead to next year and hope that it can be just as successful, or even bigger and better, next December.

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West Hartford Festival of Trees at First Church. Photo by Amy Melvin

West Hartford Festival of Trees at First Church. Photo by Amy Melvin

CitySingers at the West Hartford Festival of Trees. Photo by Ginny Vocelli

West Hartford Festival of Trees at First Church. Photo by Ginny Vocelli

West Hartford Festival of Trees at First Church. Photo by Ginny Vocelli