MARION — Christmas came early to the Cushing Community Center as the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging began its third Festival of Trees on Saturday, Nov. 26.

The festival, which runs through Dec. 8, brings craft vendors, raffle items, and hand-designed Christmas trees into the community center. 

Guests perused tables selling jewelry, glass artwork, watercolor paintings, shell art and baked goods.

Musical entertainment was provided by Dave Valerio who hammered out classic holiday tunes on a grand piano. 

“We started planning for this event in September, or so,” said Linda Jackvony, Program Director for the Marion Council on Aging. “We contacted local businesses and sent out literature about [the event].”

Jackvony explained that groups and individuals could request a tree from the Council on Aging, decorate it, and enter it into the Festival of Trees’ raffle. 

The winners of the raffle, who will be announced on Dec. 8, each get to take home a Christmas tree. 

This year, the First Congregational Church of Marion, Mimi’s Boutique, the Marion Art Center, Marion Recreation Department and Sippican School were among some of the entrants who decorated trees. 

“Someone from Sippican School contacted me in early September and they wanted two trees right away for kids in the afterschool programs,” said Jackvony. “Everyone picks their own theme [for the tree] and they do a really nice job.”

The Sippican School’s trees were decorated in “rainbow” and “tree of sweets” themes. The rainbow theme was a “bright and festive tree to remind you that with rainbows there is always hope and promise,” read a description. 

In addition to Christmas trees, raffle tickets could be used on gift baskets stocked with goodies like cosmetics, snacks and scratch tickets, plush toys and more. The gift basket raffle was called on Nov. 26.

“It’s a really nice fundraiser for the Council on Aging,” said Jackvony, who added that the proceeds from raffle ticket sales go back into the council.