There is nothing like the twinkle of lights and ornaments on a Christmas tree to offer a hearty dose of nostalgia and warmth as the nights get longer and the temperatures get cooler.
From mid-November to the Sunday after Thanksgiving each year in Grayling, the Festival of Trees brings that spirit to the air and has served as the official kick off for the holiday season. This is often the first-time ornament hooks are taken out and red and green glitter leaves a trail from the car to the Grayling mini mall where the trees are displayed.
What started out small has persevered through all kinds of economic weather and is now almost six times the size of the first ten trees that were initially on display.
Since Gail Swope took the reins with the festival eleven years ago, with the help of the Grayling Promotional Association (GPA) Festival Committee, the volunteer team has doubled the time guests can try to win a tree from one to two weeks. Area businesses now donate gift baskets for guests to drop their ticket in the bucket with big wishes for a win.
Swope, who is humble about finding herself designated as the Grayling Citizen of the Year twice in the last nine years, leads the GPA committee of fifteen to plan, implement, and make successful the festival each year.
“Everyone in our committee helps in one way or another, from setting up the trees, selling tickets during the two weeks we are open, or by serving in the gently used store. All of this is put on by volunteers who want to bring a spirit of joy to the community.”
The festival is by far the largest fundraiser for the GPA raising around ten thousand dollars each year that is poured back directly into the community it serves.
Admission to the festival is free, and guests and families can walk through the mini mall during open business hours and take in the splendor of almost sixty trees illuminated in one place with no out of pocket cost to deter them.
Trees are raffled off on the Sunday after the Grayling Christmas Walk, with volunteers pulling a ticket from the buckets placed in front of each tree. Twenty-five years after opening, raffle tickets are still priced at two dollars each, keeping chances of winning approachable for everyone regardless of their financial budget. Winners don’t need to be present to win.
“There have been heartwarming wins over the years, one year a woman whose home had burnt down won a tree. She had nothing for the holiday, so when she won, we were all happy for her. Another year, a woman noticed her grandfather’s plaque and pictures on the large National Guard tree, and she wanted to win it so badly for that reason alone. When she won the tree, we all had a smile for that connection that she felt to her family being celebrated”, Swope reminisces.
Another tradition that has lived on through the decades is the opportunity for children to write and receive letters from Santa. There is a mailbox on site that sends letters directly to jolly St. Nick himself each night.
Years ago, fourteen to fifteen children sent a letter, these days there are on average over a hundred letters. Children are delighted to receive a personalized handwritten letter, stamped from the North Pole and addressed directly to them encouraging kind behavior and answering their requests a few weeks after the festival concludes.
The Grayling Promotional Association is always looking for more to join their team and is open to anyone who is interested in joining. GPA meets on Tuesdays each week at noon at Dead Bear Brewing Company and those interested are encouraged to come to a meeting as a guest to learn what they do. “I really encourage folks to get involved in the city they call home. Attend city meetings, keep up with what is going on, let your voice be heard”, Gail encourages. “There is so much good work being done in our community and all can be a part of it.”
