Hammond Lumber’s decorated tree in 2017 was auctioned off for $1,500. Submitted photo

FARMINGTON — When the first Christmas trees were decorated centuries ago somewhere in Central Europe, no one imagined the practice could develop into a display as beautiful as the 25 trees that will make up the 2019 Festival of Trees in Farmington.

This will be the 20th year that Farmington Rotary has sponsored the Festival of Trees, which will be on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Farmington Community Center, 127 Middle St. The viewing of trees begins at 9 a.m. and continues until the trees are auctioned, starting at 6:30 p.m. This year’s festival is chaired by Farmington Rotarian Susy Sanders, a clinical psychologist who lives and practices in Phillips.

Among the 20 floor-standing trees will be a tree decorated with the patches from Maine fire departments to commemorate the statewide effort to support Farmington’s Fire Department after the explosion on Sept. 16 that killed Fire Capt. Michael Bell and injured seriously six others. More than 80 fire departments backed up Farmington when the town’s department was below full staffing as its firefighters recovered.

State Forester Patty Cormier has contacted each fire department in Maine asking for a patch for the tree. Rotarian Robyn Belcher is also making a quilt with the Farmington Fire Department emblem, to be auctioned.

Five table-top trees will also be on view and up for auction as well as beautifully decorated wreaths. The bidding will begin with pies and other small items and move up to the trees. Everyone who attends during the day will receive ticket to win a door prize – a huge stuffed dalmation called “Chester” after Farmington’s Chester Greenwood. Rotarian Sharon Cullenberg has been taking Chester for walks to promote the festival and getting all sorts of attention.

Festival goers may also buy raffles tickets for a decorated Christmas tree full of thousands of dollars worth of gifts.

Not all of the Christmas trees are gorgeous. Christmas tree grower and Rotarian Walter Gooley picks out a “Charlie Brown tree,” a plain, undecorated or barely decorated tree so sad and small and sorrowfully misshaped, yet at the same time heartwarming. The Charlie Brown trees are always popular, perhaps because their bedraggled nature contrasts so sharply with the beautifully sculpted and trimmed trees.

Finally will be a Community Tree. Rotary asks people attending the festival to take an ornament to the Community Center to hang on the Community tree. The tree’s decorations will reflect the community’s diversity.

Rotarian Adrian Harris will be the auctioneer, and Rotarian Kent Wiles will emcee the auction that begin at 6:30 p.m. The auction is kicked off by a social hour with heavy appetizers and a cash bar.

Last year, Rotary raised $19,000 through the auction to support its various projects, which include eradicating polio, supporting local school teams such as Mount Blue softball, right up through worldwide peace projects.