To the editor:
Vehicles filled with boxes and bags. Getting your cardio in with multiple trips between vehicle and building. No doubt some artificial snow or plastic pine needles that have escaped their containers are now decorating the back seat along with a fleeing bow or ornament or two.
Carrying in boxes of design options, laminating their own signs, adjusting and re-adjusting ornaments to get everything in the perfect spot at the perfect angle — the level of detail and work done by the Festival of Trees participants is truly amazing.
Building shelves, crafting one-of-a-kind ornaments that adorn their trees and painstakingly removing dozens of breakable buildings from within boxes.
Oodles of packing paper, bits of Styrofoam flying everywhere, fake snow, bows and more. Cords, power strips and more cords.
Nope, gotta move this a little, gotta add something here, need to put something under the tree and raise it up — adjust, adjust, adjust.
Just like the Olympians, who make it look easy — there’s a lot of work and toil behind the scenes to make those trees, wreaths, Santas, nativity sets, a Christmas village and more dazzle you. You benefit from the results and miss out on the pre- and post-show work — the hustle and bustle and bit of chaos that is the Festival of Trees.
Case studies in both individual visions coming to life, along with the fruits of teamwork — with some productive conflict resolution of ideas thrown in — are on display during “set-up” days at the Carnegie Library Museum.
And like bargain hunters on Dec. 26 — “Already thinkin’ about something for next year,” “Know what our ornaments will be”– these participants are boxing up their 2018 entries and envisioning their 2019 entries.
Every participant should be proud both of their individual and collective results. You are the heart of the Festival of Trees. Whether a one-time participant or a long-running veteran, it truly could not be done without you. We appreciate all that you do! See you in November 2019.
Laura Stebbins, Katie Schott and the Carnegie Volunteers
Perry
