Fall brings leaves. Leaves bring colder weather. Colder weather brings… Food trees? Yes, it does! It’s time again for the annual Festival of Trees at the Aurora Theatre in Historic Lawrenceville. In case you’re not up on the Festival, let me explain. Each year, local businesses are invited to fill the Aurora Theatre’s lobby with decorated Christmas trees to usher in the holiday season during their fabulous Christmas Canteen show – which started the weekend after Thanksgiving. Patrons who attend the theatre are asked to bring either nonperishable food for our local Gwinnett food banks or toys for Toys for Tots. The tree which “collects” the most food and toys underneath its branches is declared the “Best of the Fest”! For the third straight year, all food collected during this event is part of the Gwinnett CAN Challenge sponsored by Holtkamp HVAC and will be donated to our area food banks.
So here’s the crazy part. Each year, Theresa and I have to come up with a new Christmas tree design. You can see the previous year’s design here. It gets harder each year to do something bigger and better! This year, we were inspired to construct the tree entirely from food in order that the tree could be “donated” after the festival. Here are a few pictures to show you our challenge. However, nothing beats seeing it in person! Please stop by the Aurora Theatre and support the Gwinnett CAN Challenge by voting with food for the Holtkamp tree!
This is how every Holtkamp Christmas Tree starts - as a mess in my living room!
After 59,987 trips to the car, Theresa surveys the food inside the Aurora Theatre lobby. Exactly WHO'S idea was this?
Theresa begins the intricate construction while I have visions of the dreaded "grocery store tumble" dancing in my head.
And the finished tree, all blinged out. Over 640 items were used which will feed over 8 families this holiday season. Stay tuned for the final, final picture! (We decided you can never have too much tinsel!)
And who would have thought that food could be so beautiful!
