Brookline Church To Hold Festival Of Trees

BROOKLINE, PA — Tree of Life Open Bible Church on Brookline Boulevard is being transformed into a veritable forest for this weekend's 8th annual Festival of Trees.

The four-day event, which begins Thursday, is designed to foster a sense of community as people walk through the sanctuary adorned with dozens of thematically decorated Christmas trees.

“The event started the first year as a friendly competition among congregation members to see who could create the most unique tree," said the Rev. Lance Rhoades, Tree of Life pastor.

"The event grew to include community members. Last year, we had 86 unique trees displayed in our sanctuary, 24 of those decorated by local businesses and organizations. There was also over 1,000 people in attendance over the weekend. We definitely expect more this year."

The event is a friendly competition, as people can vote for their favorite trees in such categories as Best Traditional Tree, Most Creative Tree, Overall Favorite Tree and People’s Choice Tree. New this year will be a youth category.

Family-friendly activities during the event will include food, holiday music and entertainment, kid’s crafts, a holiday photo booth, pictures with Santa and a coffee and cocoa bar.

“It’s an opportunity for families to slow down, spend quality time together doing something that won’t cost a lot of money, and celebrate the season as a family during a busy time of the year,” Rhoades said.