This is a fictional tale about the inaugural Midcoast Tree Festival.

In Part One, I take a parent with their son and daughter in my time machine to November 23, the first Saturday of the two-weekend event.  We’ve just walked into the St. John’s Community Center (43 Pleasant Street, Brunswick) and entered the gymnasium full of people and trees.  Let’s pick it up, from you speaking to a volunteer greeter….

…Out of the blue, the greeter lady says, “Did you get all that?”  Embarrassed you admit that you weren’t paying attention.  “No problem,” she says, “it happens a lot — it’s pretty overwhelming.  Here’s the quick version.  It’s 11 a.m. now, so we have children’s crafts on the stage for another hour. If you want to buy tickets for the tree raffle they’re 50 cents apiece and right over there.  Each tree has a minimum value of $500.  If you win, you get everything in the tree space including the tree and the decorations.  How’s that sound?”

“Amazing,” you say.

“Also, the school choir begins at 1:00 on the stage if you’re still around.  50/50 tickets are in that corner over there, we draw that every day a half-hour before we close. And if you want any concessions, follow your nose out that door and around the corner.”

Before you can take that all in, your son runs back to you.

“There is a Lego tree.  A whole Lego tree!”

The nice greeter, taps you on the shoulder.

“Sweetie, can I just have you take a couple of steps over so these nice people can get through the door.”  And you do.  And you look around, stunned at this win-tree wonderland laid out before you.

“What do you want to do first?” I ask.

“I-I don’t know,” you say, still trying to distill all of the information you just received.  “The crafts, I guess.  Let’s go to the craft area.”

We weave our way through the tree displays — or at least we try to — but your son stops at the third tree we get to, to read the list of gifts.  Your daughter wants to stop at the one after that.

There are so many businesses who have trees.  Crooker Construction has a toy truck-based tree.  Maine State Music Theater has tickets on their tree for the upcoming season.  Bath Savings, Mechanic’s Savings Bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, all have trees but with different themes.  Some trees are themed for parents with outdoor camping supplies, and spa services.  Other trees are for kids like the sports trees, the book trees and the Disney tree.

Many businesses have chosen to include gifts from some of their other favorite businesses in their tree space.  Other trees are set up by groups, like the Retail Association of Maine tree, which has gift cards for different retailers throughout the state.  There is a necessity tree which includes a heating oil gift card and a grocery gift card to help with those expenses in the chilly holiday season.

Finally, you make your way to the stage and the craft area. You’re pleasantly surprised to see the lady that lives three houses down from yours, is volunteering and helping two curly-headed twins make a tree ornament while their father looks on.  You see student council leaders helping kids.  Your neighbor crosses over to you.

“Do the children want to make an ornament this morning?”

“Can we, plllleeaaasssee?” they ask in unison.

“Sure,” you concede, “how much does it cost?”

“Oh all the crafts are complimentary — no charge at all.” Your children scurry to two open seats and begin to grab supplies.

Finally able to relax for a moment, you look around at the families and the trees.

“How?” you ask.  “How did this all happen?”

“Well,” I tell you, “it’s like any big project.  It took a lot of people working together. It started with Meals on Wheels meeting with me over coffee back in March and introducing the concept of a tree festival.  We wanted a third partner and needed a location, and we had just held our Chamber Awards Dinner at St. John’s.”

“That’s who this is a fundraiser for, right? All three of your groups?”  you ask.

“Yup.  This will go to helps St. John’s through All Saints Parish, it will help expand Meals on Wheels through Spectrum Generations, and for the Chamber, it will help us expand our programming and get some seed money for other community and workforce projects we have been wanting to launch,” I say proudly.

“Wow.”

“But without the businesses trusting us and investing in tree spaces and in wreaths.  Without the donation of gifts.  Without the sponsors.  Without the dozens of volunteers, we need every day volunteering their time to make this event happen — we couldn’t do this,” I say, thankfully.  “It has become, in a remarkably short time period, a great community collaboration.”

Just as I finish, your kids come running back to display their masterpieces.  One ornament is a snowman — the other is Iron Man.

“Well,” you tell your children, “I guess we ought to go buy some raffle tickets.”  And you do.  Twenty dollars gets you 40 tickets, and you walk around for the next hour with your children tossing them in the buckets for the trees you want.

“Alas, it’s time to go,” I say.

We walk back out to our time machine — you know the process now.  Door closes. Steam. Hiss. Blare. Bright lights then darkness.  We are back.  We step out of the machine.

“What do you want to do now?” I ask.

“Tell everyone I know,” you say.

“Good.  I hope you do”.

For more information on the MTF find us on Facebook on the Midcoast Tree Festival page (www.facebook.com/midcoasttreefestival).  Find the links to register for volunteering and for tree spaces on the top left button on the Chamber website (www.midcoastmaine.com). Cory King is the executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber.

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