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J aime Thomas
A crowd expressed admiration as Santa and Mrs. Claus rolled up in a lighted, horse-drawn carriage to the Festival of Trees at the Slate Valley Museum Friday night.
John Shaw, of Wing Truck and Trailer, Inc., drove two of his Clydesdales to the event, which was part of the Slate and the Pember Library and Museum’s First Friday program. Various organizations and individuals throughout the community adorned 15 trees for the Slate Valley Museum with themed-decorations ranging from Boy Scout badges to glittery garden seed packets.
Attendees enjoyed cookies and hot drinks while perusing the trees, and children had the opportunity to sit with the Clauses. The 200 people who passed through also had the opportunity to see a model train and full village set-up that was provided by the Hyatt family.
Molly Biggs Celani, president of the Slate Valley Museum board, and Amy Mincher, Assistant Director/Collections Manager, were pleased with the visitors’ excitement and are appreciative of everyone’s contributions.
“It was wonderful to see the sparkle in the eyes of museum guests as they enjoyed the beauty, elegance and creativity of the theme trees” and the model villages,” Celani said. She said many people expressed interest in participating in the festival again next year.
Mincher thought the event was wonderful.
“I was so happy that so many people came out and celebrated the holidays at our museum,” Mincher said.
Across the river, noted local musicians Al and Kathy Bain set a festive mood with bluegrass music and holiday tunes at the Pember. The crowd enjoyed wine and conversation as they checked out the array of work from a variety of featured artists. Handmade hats adorned model-heads on one table, as leather bags filled another.
Rob McGuire, a Pember trustee, thought Friday was a lively event with more than 120 people stopping in.
“We made some sales of gift items in our Holiday Market, and Gisele Zeitler, one of the First Friday artists, sold four of her necklaces,” McGuire said.
