It’s been a few years since I last attended the Festival of Trees, but when May offered me an extra ticket she had been given by her office, it seemed like a good chance to get reacquainted with one of Edmonton’s Christmas traditions.
It would be difficult for most people not to be swayed by the spirit of the season after stepping inside the immaculately decorated halls of the Shaw Conference Centre. Between the music, the lights, and of course, the trees, the room was glowing with the joy of Christmas.
A recyclable tree
One sweet hearth
May and I agreed that attending the festival towards the end of its final day was actually not a bad idea; by that point, most of the crowds had dispersed. It meant we could take our sweet time admiring our favourite trees, revelling in their beauty and detail.
Dissipating crowds
Bringing the outside in
It’s hard to know how veteran contributors come up with new ideas year after year, but it was evident there were some wonderful creativity behind some of the tree themes. Most of my favourites were probably aimed more at children, but what can I say? I’m a kid at heart.
How can you not love Elmo?
Under the Sea
More toys (yep, that’s a Furby you see)
We also noted new-to-us displays of interesting wreaths, including a stunning wreath constructed out of steel ribbons.
May and I also made sure to tour the gingerbread creations (most definitely went above and beyond construction of a “house”). Being a Star Wars fan, I had a soft spot for the Ewok tree hut, but I also had to marvel at the detail in the very aptly named “Have You Any Wool?”, down to the texture of the knit stocking.
“Forest of Endor”
“Have You Any Wool?”
I also loved the comical scene in “A Merry Little Christmas Tree”, created by the Shaw Conference Centre pastry chefs. They definitely had a sense of humour when it came to this particular landing of Santa’s sleigh.
“A Merry Little Christmas Tree”
Thanks again to May for inviting me – it was a great reminder of what I’ve been missing these past few years!
Only Here for the Food 
Hey, Im so gladyou liked my Star Wars gingerbread. It may not have been as festive as some of the others, but the kids (young and young at heart) seemed to think it was fun! check out the play by play of its construction at my blog 8)
Darcy – thank you for the comment, and for the heads up about your behind the scenes post. And what’s not festive about Ewoks? 🙂