Festival of Trees and Wreaths Raises Record Funds

By Virginia L. Clark, The Taos News

A giving tree of $25,000 spread throughout the nonprofit sector of Taos at the 2006 Festival of Trees & Wreaths held Dec. 1, and people in the know are calling this sixth year the best yet.

“I think the trees were more beautiful this year than any other year,” said Elizabeth
Crittenden-Palacios, executive director of Taos Community Foundation, the grant organization that facilitates much of the funding of Taos nonprofits' programming.

A favorite of literary types was the Friends of D.H. Lawrence Tree. Board members and DHL scholars went all out, said Art Bachrach, president of the Friends of DHL.

The Lawrence Christmas Tree at the 2006 Festival of Trees and Wreaths at El Monte Sagrado Resort, Taos.

“Nita Murphy has a passion for making doll houses, and she made ornaments that were 1/12th scale of each of Lawrence's books. Harry Vedoe's caricatures (of Mabel Dodge and company) were put on doilies, heirlooms of DHL Friends secretary Pam Brody; Joyce Franklin made stockings with quotes, and Tina Ferris (West Coast Lawrence scholar) made white-silk decor. It's just great that the proceeds go to the museum association,” Bachrach said, referring to the money received from admission fees.

The Museum Association of Taos took in $5,600 at the door. The admission fee was $15 this year, as opposed to last year’s $10.

Sponsored by individuals, organizations and businesses of Taos, the luxuriantly decorated trees and wreaths went on view for silent bidding Nov. 25. Some people had their hearts set on taking home their trees of choice.

“One little boy was so happy he got the tree he bid on, he was doing his very own little dance on the balcony," Crittenden-Palacios said, paying special thanks to The Taos News for spearheading the event six years ago and for its ongoing support of the community, and to El Monte Sagrado for stepping up to host the event for the first time this year.

“I so appreciate El Monte’s excellent work this year. It demonstrates their willingness to support the community. Even though we were in a larger space, it seems there was a lot more people,” Crittenden-Palacios said.

Friends of DHL Board Members Kika Allred, left, and Jan Mellor, with Mellor’s father Eric Deeley, making the table cover for the Friends’ “Lawrence Christmas Tree” at the 2006 Festival of Trees and Wreaths” at El Monte Sagrado hotel in Taos, Dec. 1.

Jeff Mahan, general manager of El Monte Sagrado Resort, said festival-goers, bidders and trees covered the entire public areas of the resort, including the mezzanine, the library, The Gardens Restaurant and the Anaconda Bar.

A shortage of parking prompted Mahan to get traffic direction help from the Taos Police Department, but despite that and the sidewalk construction across the street from the resort, along the south side of Kit Carson Road, attendees were not deterred. Some complaints arose at the long line to the appetizer table and the large numbers slamming the bartenders, but Mahan said, overall, everyone was pleasant and appeared to
have a good time.

“Most of the people I spoke with were very complimentary and I got a lot of good feedback. We were thrilled to be asked to host the Festival of Trees and we're looking forward to it next year,” Mahan said. “There certainly are things we can improve upon next year, like getting the Chile Line [town bus service]; and after our expansion is finished, we'll have 130 parking spaces instead of just 65. The Festival of Trees board of directors was very proactive. They really knew what they were getting into and they guided us every step of the way.”

The El Monte was selected after the Fechin Inn went under reconstruction for condominiums in the fall, said Joanne Crass, advertising director of The Taos News.

Ornaments on the tree included Harry Vedoe’s caricatures of Mabel Dodge Luhan and D.H., transferred to heirloom doilies by DHL board secretary Pam Brody and president Art Bachrach.

The El Monte was a wonderful venue,” Crass said. “Raising $5,000 more than last year was the biggest thing we did, and it was everyone at The Taos News pulling together, plus the business community and all the nonprofits — so everyone working together made it a success.”

There were 73 trees and wreaths this year, almost 10 more than last year. Crass particularly praised the down-home tone of Taos musical cowboy, Michael Hearne, and the attendance of the Fiesta Queen.

Also thanked were Art Bachrach, “...for being himself,” publisher Chris Baker joked. Baker started the Festival of Trees & Wreaths benefit in 2000, an event he imported from his time as a publisher in Belen.

“This was the biggest in Taos ever. A big thank-you goes out to DMC Broadcasting with the live remote, that was great; and to the El Monte staff. It's good that we helped out 40 nonprofits.”

The Lawrence Christmas Tree at the 2006 Festival of Trees and Wreaths at El Monte Sagrado Resort, Taos.