Pender County Festival of Trees will light up the weekend

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (WECT) - Dozens of brightly decorated Christmas trees will light up the Family Life Center Gymnasium at Hampstead United Methodist Church this weekend for the first Pender County Festival of Trees, which will benefit the newly-created Pender County Sheriff’s Charitable Foundation.

Festival hours will be from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. both Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19. Admission is free. The address for the church is 15395 Highway 17 in Hampstead.

The festival will feature live musical performances, a gingerbread house competition and, of course, a visit from Santa. There will be homemade wreaths for sale, and visitors will be able to bid on the trees decorated by volunteers and members of the foundation. The winning bidders can take the trees home, or they can donate them to a family in need.

Money raised by this year’s festival will benefit the sheriff’s office K9 and SWAT units, providing updated technology and equipment to deputies serving on those units.

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