The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library was bustling with Christmas spirit during its annual Festival of Trees on Thursday.
“It’s been going on for a long time. Different public organizations, even like the sheriff’s office and police department participate,” said Brenda Durrett, who oversaw the event. “They submit an application to participate. We furnish the trees and the lights on the trees and they furnish the decorations, the topper and the skirt.”
There were 24 trees on display decorated by different community and public organizations such as Junior Auxiliary of Columbus and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
The trees are set up on the Monday after Thanksgiving and the groups get to work decorating the trees. Once the trees are decorated, the voting begins.
“When all the trees are decorated, we make a list,” Durrett said. “Then the public can start, usually on that Saturday after the trees are decorated, voting. It goes through noon on the day of the festival. The public is the one that chooses the winners, not us. It would be so hard for us to do that because they’re so beautiful.”
The top three trees are awarded prizes of $75, $50 and $25 Amazon gift cards.
This year’s winners were: Columbus Park and Recreation, Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society and Junior Auxiliary.
“Everybody really has a great time doing this,” Durrett said. “It’s a great community event.”
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