WESTBROOK – It’s a sure sign that Christmas is on its way when the trees start to sprout inside the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church on Main Street.

Starting Tuesday, Nov. 27, volunteers will begin the process of setting up the multitude of trees for the annual Westbrook holiday tradition of the Festival of Trees, which runs from Saturday, Dec. 1 to Saturday, Dec. 8.

The festival has been an annual fundraiser for various local charities since 2001. The festival, and most of its activities, is free to the public, but donations are always welcome.

In addition to the tree exhibit, popular highlights will include breakfast with Santa on Dec. 1, musical performances and public dinners and lunches.

The festival’s goal from the start has been to raise money for local charities. It has so far raised more than $80,000. This year, the main beneficiaries are the Westbrook Food Pantry and the Good Samaritan Oil Fund, a local charity that offers residents one time per year emergency financial assistance for heating oil or fuel.

The festival has grown quite a bit from its simple roots.

Westbrook’s Pat Wilson started the festival in memory of her mother, who enjoyed a similar event every year.

“We always went up to Hinkley School, up by Skowhegan, (and) they always had a Festival of Trees every year,” Wilson said. “When she passed away, I thought I’d like to do that for her because she enjoyed it so much.”

Since that first festival, Wilson has seen the even grow.

“The first year, we had 18 trees and last year, we had 45,” Wilson said. “We’ve more than tripled.”

And it continues to grow.

“It grew by one tree this year,” added Cheryl Leighton, the festival’s coordinator, who said the indoor forest of decorated and lit Christmas trees is at 46 this year.

With less than two weeks to go before the festival, volunteers are still working to tie up the last minute loose ends. Leighton has high hopes for this year’s event.

“It’s going to be great,” she said. “We have all of our entertainment set.”

While some old favorites like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and the well-attended “Tips for Charity” lunch, where local dignitaries serve lunch for tips donated to local charities remain on the schedule, there will be some new attractions and entertainment featured this year.

All throughout the festival, Leighton said, there will be a new display of miniatures, featuring both vintage and modern holiday room settings and shops for young and old to enjoy. That display of miniatures dovetails nicely with another Festival of Trees tradition, the model train display by local enthusiast Paul Corbett. Leighton said she didn’t have an exact schedule as to when Corbett’s trains would be running, but she added the display is always a popular one.

“We have hundreds of folks go through there,” she said.

Also new on the entertainment schedule is an a capella performance by the local group Classic Blend on Monday, Dec. 3, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. On Friday, Dec. 7, soprano Heather Connolly, a Westbrook High School graduate who has performed throughout the United States, as well as in countries such as Russia, Italy and Germany, will be performing at 6:30 p.m.

While the actual festival won’t open until Dec. 1, Leighton said the volunteers are already starting to get into the spirit, and that feeling of holiday happiness will continue during the time it takes to get everything set up.

“People are setting the trees up and they’re happy,” Leighton said. “It’s a fun time.”

Ruth Shadbolt, a volunteer with Camp Sunshine, decorates a tree sponsored by the Westbrook Rotary Club last year at the Warren Congregational Church in Westbrook.