Methuen Festival of Trees is having a “Community Celebration” as part of the Festival’s 30th Anniversary.
Organizers say the event will include something for everyone. For those interested in history, there will be guided tours of the Methuen Museum of History and a brief trolley tour of other historic properties that have benefited from the support of the Festival of Trees. For children, there will be games, a bouncy house and complimentary popcorn and cotton candy. The first 500 children will receive a souvenir of the Festival’s 30th Anniversary. There will also be entertainment and a variety of food options available for purchase.
“Thirty years ago, a small group of volunteers hosted the first Festival of Trees at the Nevins Memorial Library to raise funds to save Methuen’s historic Tenney Gate House. At that time, the building was boarded up and structurally threatened,” says Festival Board president Tom Lussier. “Thirty-years later, the historic Gate House is home to the Methuen Museum of History, and the Festival has invested more than $2 million in historic preservation projects,” he adds.
The event takes place Saturday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., on the grounds of the Methuen Museum of History, 37 Pleasant St., Methuen. To highlight the history of the Festival of Trees and to express appreciation to organizations and individuals who have supported the Festival, the board of directors is inviting donors, volunteers and the community at large to visit.
“What began as a small community event to help save one Methuen historic treasure, has grown into Methuen’s most significant holiday event—drawing upwards to 30,000 visitors to ‘Share the Magic’ of the magnificent trees,” says Festival founder Sharon M. Pollard. “In addition to bringing the joy of the holiday season to thousands of guests each year, the Festival has partnered with over 30 organizations in more than 20 communities to invest more than $2 million in significant historic preservation projects,” she adds.
The 30th Annual Festival of Trees will take place from Saturday, Nov. 18 through Saturday, Dec. 2, at 13 Branch St., Methuen.