The holiday season kicks off at the 15th Annual Festival of Trees to benefit Ann’s Place, November 17 to 19, from 10am to 4pm. This year’s festival will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Danbury. Highlights will include an Opening Night Tribute on Friday from 6:30 to 10:30pm, honoring Rudy and Peggy Marconi, who are supporters of Ann’s Place. Cocktails and dinner-by-the-bite will be served up along with Broadway performances by Katie Diamond, Daniel Levine, Bryan Perri and Daniela Sikora. There will also be an auction and raffles.

Festival days are filled with live entertainment on the hour, more than 100 holiday trees, prizes, raffles, and a marketplace for shopping with specialty vendors and local craftsmen. Children can join the Gathering of the Galaxies (character parties), see magician Tom Pesce and partake in interactive entertainment (Saturday). A new Children’s Winter Village features activities such as crafts, face painting, tattoos, LEGO building and more from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Play it casual Saturday night by bringing your friends to enjoy live music by Future Tense while meeting the brewers at the Taps & Trees Craft Beer Fest and a dinner-by-the-bite and dessert from 6:30 to 10:30pm. The first 300 Taps & Trees guests will also receive a souvenir glass to take home.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children (12 and under) and seniors (65 and over), and children under 5 are free.

Since its inception, Festival of Trees has raised over $2.56 million to support area cancer patients, survivors, their loved ones and anyone touched by cancer. It is Ann’s Place’s signature fundraiser and supports 20 percent of its annual free services.

For more information and tickets, call 203-790-6568 or visit AnnsPlaceFestivalofTrees.org/Taps-Trees-2017. Location: Crowne Plaza
Danbury, 18 Old Ridgebury Rd, Danbury. See ad, page 4.