Festival of Trees twinkles
Once again the Shaw Conference Centre lights up with a magical wonderland known as the 2010 Festival of Trees from Dec. 2 to 5. This year's theme is appropriately called Sparkle.
About 300 glittering trees, creative items and gingerbread houses will be auctioned off Wednesday night in a fundraiser to support the University of Alberta.
There's a wide range of munchkin type activities ranging from a Santa Shop and an ice-fishing pond to gingerbread cookie decorating and checking out Christmas treasures.
Thursday is seniors' day where anyone over 65 receives free admission. Later in the evening a family scavenger hunt is planned from 5 to 9 p.m.
Friday boasts a luncheon and fashion show starting at 11 a.m. and Sunday is Santa's Breakfast kicking off at 8:30 a.m.
This year the fundraising focus is on the brain with plans to buy state-of-the-art technology to support neurosciences, says publicist Barbara Bergstrom.
This includes a neurological surgical microscope so powerful it has pinpoint precision. Also on the list is a 3 Tesla MRI scanner to view the brain during surgery, and EEG video technology to capture moving images as well as stills.
Hours are Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 per adult, $3 youth/senior, $1 children age two to 12, while kids under two get in free.
Church concert relives nativity
Sturgeon Valley Baptist Church is heralding Christmas with A Star Still Shines, the congregation's traditional sacred concert running Dec. 3 to 5.
"It goes right from Jesus' birth and carries on through his life. The songs look at how it affects our life today because he is after all the light of the world," says choir director Rose Hodges.
While the adult choir belts out A Star Still Shines, the Girls' Club Choir sings 'Twas the Light Before Christmas with soloist Christiana Anderst, 6.
The one-hour concert also includes several solo works with Brian Hodges singing Have You Seen That Child and Maureen Pearson taking hold of that Christian spiritual The Hand of Sweet Release.
On Friday and Sunday, organizers are also bringing in live animals complete with costumed nativity scene figures. "This is the first year we've tried live animals. We just wanted to make it interesting for the church folk. We wanted to add another touch so it's not just choir music, especially for small children."
Concert times are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7:45 p.m. and Sunday at 10:45 a.m. There is no charge.
