CHRISTMAS ISN'T CHRISTMAS WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE - OR 90!
Tue 4th December 2018
A favourite event in the Beverley calendar is the annual Christmas Tree Festival in Beverley Minster. In its first year, there were 40 decorated trees, now, 7 years on, there are 90 and a waiting list!
This year will be the 7th year of a Festival which everyone has taken to their hearts, because anyone and everyone can decorate a tree! And because last year there were queues of people waiting to get into the Minster to wonder at the
creativity and ingenuity of the dressed trees, it is now a whole day longer!
Tree-decorating this year is scheduled for Wednesday 5th December when 90 Nordland Pine trees will be ready and waiting to be garlanded in lights and suitable ornamentation by a whole variety of schools, organisations and businesses, as well as the Minster.
Although visitors marvel at all the trees, they are encouraged to choose and vote for their favourite as there are prizes for the
trees with the most votes. Winning is an honour!
This year, prizes will be awarded at the Minster’s Sunday Choral Evensong held at 5.30pm. The Minster Festival will open at 10am on Thursday 6th December and remain so for the next 4 days.
The Sunday coincides with the Festival of Christmas, which is very busy, hence locals are encouraged to visit the Minster on the Thursday or Friday.
There are refreshments served in the Parish Hall (looking at 90 Christmas Trees will require stamina!) and a concert at 7pm on the Saturday evening features Kirstie Almeida with The Troubadours supported by Beverley Minster Primary School Choir.
Trees will need to be removed by Monday morning when any which have not been taken away by their owners are available to the highest bidder. They are such robust trees that they last until well into January.
If you need a real Christmas tree, you know where to go on Monday 10th December!
Opening times for the Festival are Thursday 6th December 10am-4pm; Friday 7th December 10am - 4pm; Saturday 8th December 10am-4pm, Sunday 9th December 12noon-4pm. Admission is £3 by programme only, children go in free of charge.
