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Organizers of the Thanksgiving weekend’s Festival of Trees and Gifts of Love at First Presbyterian Church in Benton said they plan to make the event an annual celebration.  Adam Betts, 19 months, shows off a Christmas suit during a fashion show at the Festival of Trees at the First Presbyterian Church in Benton on Saturday. The festival will become an annual event, organizers said. With Adam Betts is Jack Baker, 22 months. Others pictured are, from left, Landen Pelton, 9, Karen Baker, Trisha Betts, Angela Pelton, Leigha Baker and Liz Synder.
When Kate Reecer of Benton introduced the idea for the festival to her church in June, she wasn’t sure what the response would be. But, she said, everyone from the pastor, the Rev. Kris Crawford, to members of the congregation embraced the idea.
“We hope that we look back on this and see it as a success,” Reecer said. “The plan is to make this an annual event for the church.”
Five months after Reecer suggested the event, the church halls were lined with numerous Christmas trees, all with different styles of decorations.
From the traditional decorations to a “diva tree” enhanced with pink feather boas, a Razorback tree and much more, Reecer said there was a tree to suit every person’s style.
“I think there is something for everyone,” she said. “The children of the church also had their decorated trees. There is a train tree, with a model train set that circles around it. There is a monkey tree, a sports tree and just all kinds of stuff.”
The event included more than decorated trees, kicking off Friday with an organ/choir concert billed as “The Sounds of Christmas.”
The concert featured Lisa Hester, the church organist, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock choir, which performed “And the Glory of the Lord” from G.F. Handel’s “The Messiah,” “The First Noel,” “Joy to the World” and other seasonal selections.
“Our hope, as you see, hear, smell, feel and otherwise experience God’s presence during this Christmas season, is to have a sense of anticipated joy and peace as you remember that Jesus is the reason for the season,” the service program notes.
“It was a great way to kick off the weekend,” Crawford said. “The concert was so beautiful and amazing that It made me cry. It showed the centuries of different Christian songs, and the spirit was definitely there.”
Other activities included a snowflake tea and fashion show for all ages, an arts and crafts room, a silent auction room, home-baked treats and a visit from Santa Claus. Many of the trees on display also were included in the silent auction and the church also took food donations to benefit the Churches Joint Council on Human Needs in Benton.
“I love that this event brought our church family together,” Crawford said. “It also brings the community together and brings the community into our church. It just really excites me.”
Reecer added that the event “has also been a lot of fun” and her 19-year-old son, Baxter, said he is glad to see his mom happy with the event.
“I have only seen my mom for about three hours over Thanksgiving,” he laughingly said. “So it has to be good!”
Church member Barbara Webb said tickets, at $5 for adults and $3 for children, were sold to help raise money for church missions.
“All the money raised, except from vendors, goes to the general missions of the church,” Webb said. “The missions are everything from local to nationally to even abroad. It all goes to a good cause.”
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