Festival of Trees for Boxing Day.

Tacoma's Mary Bridge Children's Hospital's annual Festival of Trees is a thirty year tradition that has grown more and more elaborate.  Theme trees are surrounded by lavish gifts. In a single weekend there are gala events (at one of these, the trees/gifts are auctioned) and the displays are open to the public for a short time before the whole thing is dismantled so that the trees/gifts can be reassembled in the homes/businesses of the winning bidders.  Whew, that's a lot of work.  This year the event made $1.6 million for the hospital. 

This year, I didn't pay much attention to the descriptions in the brochure which include the designers, themes, sponsors, etc.  just wandered aimlessly snapping shots.  As an aural balance to the visual glitz, here's a lovely setting of Заповеди блаженств (The Beatitudes) by Russian composer Vladimir Martynov (b.1947.)





I was rather fond of the blooming tree because of the exquisite cloisonné vases.






















Hope you enjoyed looking at a few of the trees in this year's festival and that you're having a peaceful holiday season!  (Christmas, after all, lasts for twelve days starting on the 25th!)