’Tis the season of giving, and thanks to the Festival of Trees, Central Albertans will be able to give back to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre once again this year.
The 25th annual festival kicks off Wednesday.
The Preview Dinner Wednesday evening will feature entertainment as sponsors and donors come together in the spirit of giving at Prairie Pavilion at Westerner Park.
Thursday, the Festival Business Lunch will bring Central Alberta’s business community together for a holiday meal at Prairie Pavilion. Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Manjit Minhas, CEO of Minhas Breweries & Distillery and star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Minhas will share secrets of her success as an entrepreneur, beer baroness and Dragon.
The co-founder has several industry awards under her belt, including Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Canada.
Appreciation Afternoon on Thursday will be an all-seniors affair. The Senior Appreciation Tea is scheduled from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Stockmens Pavilion, followed by Volunteer Appreciation from 4 to 6 p.m. Seniors and Festival of Trees volunteers will be able to sneak-a-peak at the Gift Shop and the Tree Room at the event.
Also on Thursday is Taste of Red Deer from 6 to 9 p.m. at Prairie Pavilion. The public event will feature mouth-watering beverages, appetizers and desserts prepared by some of Central Alberta’s finest restaurants.
The ever-popular Festival of Wines, a ticketed cocktail-reception-style event, will feature wines from across the globe. The sold-out event will also have appetizers, silent auctions and beer and wine advent calendars. The event is scheduled Friday starting at 8 p.m. at Prairie Pavilion.
Travis Kuschminder, marketing and communications manager at Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, said about 775 people are expected at the Festival of Wines event this year.
The Tree Room, including Candy Cane Lane, Gift Shop, Sweet Shop, Santa’s Secret Shop and a breathtaking display of Christmas trees and wreaths, will be open to the public Thursday alongside Taste of Red Deer.
Friday’s Mistletoe Magic — a father-and-daughter evening for all ages — will have attendees enjoying an evening of entertainment, a meal, and one of the largest individual raffles offered at Festival of Trees. The event will start at 6 p.m. at Prairie Pavilion.
Breakfast with Santa on Sunday will be a magical morning with Santa Claus for families to enjoy. The three-hour event will have a breakfast buffet, and child focused activities and entertainment.
The Festival Fashion Brunch will be held Sunday from 10:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Prairie Pavilion. Those who attend will enjoy a delicious meal, musical entertainment and door prizes. The event will make for the perfect time to toast the season with besties.
Festival of Trees — Red Deer’s signature holiday event — helps the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation to raise money for the Red Deer hospital.
Money raised at the festival this year will go toward Pyxis automated medication dispensing stations. The automated systems, with electronic features, will dispense patient medications efficiently and accurately, reducing the likelihood of human error.
This year’s festival will entertain more than 20,000 guests, thanks to the efforts of more than 2,000 volunteers.
To date, more than $15 million has been raised from the festival.
For tickets to this year’s events, visit ticketsalberta.com.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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