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Date: 11/29/2022
GRANBY – The Festival of Trees and Baskets is returning once again for two weekends leading into the holiday season where residents are invited to enter to win raffled prizes.
The annual event put on by the Granby Preservation Society begins with purchase of tickets starting Nov. 26 in person at Kellogg Hall through Dec. 4 until 6 p.m. Tickets were first available the weekend of Nov. 26 and 27, and will be again again on Dec. 3 and 4 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Drawing of winners will come after 7 p.m. on the final date.
Preservation Society President Terry Lajoie said the idea for the Festival of Trees and Baskets originally came as the organization was looking for ideas that could bring the community together in some of the available space inside of Kellogg Hall. Tying in the festive spirit of the holidays had led to the event becoming a yearly community raffle lasting over the past five years.
“It’s a good way to bring in the holidays and get people in the spirit,” Lajoie said. “We do a combination of each because the trees really bring in the lights and the atmosphere of the season whereas the baskets serve as the presents.”
Residents who attend any of the event’s days are invited to look through the many donations of baskets and trees up for grabs via raffle. Tickets are bought when at the event and residents must put their tickets in certain cans for each prize for a chance at winning in the drawing.
Winners will be notified by phone, email or text to collect their winnings so when filling in the information for their raffle tickets it is important to fill-in the form completely so there are multiple ways the Preservation Society can contact the winners.
When at Kellogg Hall for the event, there will be rooms filled with available baskets, trees and a center room which will serve as a gift shop and refreshment area.
Money raised through the festival will go toward the work done by the Preservation Society and their mission to restore and preserve historic buildings in Granby. Lajoie added the project the society is focused on currently is restoration work to Kellogg Hall.
Kellogg Hall was the town’s former town hall and was built as a school building back in 1889, according to Lajoie.
“It’s been around for over 125 years, so it has some repairs and restoration work that needs to be done, and then we try to preserve that after the fact,” Lajoie said. “That’s what we try to provide for the town and for people that want to keep their history.”
Lajoie added that current restoration work scheduled for the building is a new ADA bathroom. She also noted that through raising more funds they eventually are looking to install an elevator so getting to the second-floor auditorium is more accessible. The Preservation Society hopes that with the future installment of an elevator that the auditorium in Kellogg Hall can be the place for different activities for the public and a place for people to be able to rent for their own familiar activities or events.
With the upcoming Festival of Trees and Baskets, Lajoie hopes those who participate in the event get into the holiday spirit and hopefully win items being raffled off.
“People say they come here for the atmosphere because it is an older building – and we do decorate – so I think that’s what we hope people get from it. The children come in and they see Santa and they walk around and get into the holiday spirit,” Lajoie said.