A tree made out of water bottles, filled with bells, pine needles and small ornaments.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
ENFIELD — Not all Christmas trees are created equal.
Most are green, but some are silver, white or even pink. They come in all shapes and sizes from itty-bitty Charlie Brown to the tip pity-top of the ceiling trees. Some come from the earth and others are manufactured in big plants. But all have one thing in common, they look like a tree.
And that is the one common requirement officials at the Enfield Public Library are asking for when participants in their annual Festival of Trees create their artistic vision for their holiday gallery.
“They must be in the shape of a tree, whatever materials you are using to create the form,” said Lisa Ellis, children’s coordinator at the Enfield Public Library.
The festival, open to all, kicks off with an opening reception on Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments, music, and fun and games. The exhibit is open until Dec. 31.
The event is sponsored by the Enfield Public Library and the Enfield Culture and Arts Commission.
“We have been offering our Festival of Trees to the public for over 15 years. We wanted something a little different that appeals to all ages. People can get creative and come up with their own expression of an artistic tree, while for us it will give a holiday feel to our children’s room,” Ellis said.
“This is not a contest, but something we offer just for the enjoyment of everyone, whether you are making a tree or stopping by the library to see them,” she added.
Creativeness is the key — no live or artificial trees wanted. Officials are looking for inspirational trees made from whatever you might have around the house, office or school — think using soda cans glued into the shape of a tree or making one out of popcorn.
“We already have an entry for this year that is quite unique. It is a tree made from the bottoms of water bottles that have been cut and then glued together, but not before filling them with things like garland, small ornaments, bells and pine needles to make it look pretty,” Ellis said.
Other ingenious ideas over the years have included a quilted tree, one made from egg cartons, and others of pine cones, puzzle pieces and lollipops.
“It’s amazing what people come up with. We even had a child’s beach pale turned upside down and decorated,” Ellis said.
Participants of all ages can submit a tree. Anyone who lives, works or goes to school or to the Enfield library is eligible to participate.
“This is a great project for family, friends, classes, office workers and other groups to work together to demonstrate their creativeness,” Ellis said.
All trees should be free standing and no larger than 2-foot-wide by 1-foot-long by 3-foot-high. Any materials can be used to create your tree, but electrical outlets cannot be guaranteed for any tree.
Trees must be submitted to the library by Dec. 18 and a form filled out when dropping them off.
“We had about 30 trees last year, but we would love more this year,” Ellis said.
If you need a little help to get your idea for a tree going, the library is hosting a Build-A-Tree workshop on Dec. 14 at 9:30 a.m. Visitors can drop in, no registration is necessary, and use materials provided or bring their own to grow their trees.
For more information, visit enfieldpubliclibrary.org, call 860-763-7518 or 860-763-7512.
