2009 Festival of Trees, Clearwater, Florida Home Email
Our nonprofit organization, Save the Biltmore Preservationists, created a Belleview Biltmore Hotel holiday Christmas tree) see below for photos) for the 2009 Festival of Trees sponsored by UPARC Foundation, Inc. More than 100 beautifully decorated trees from local artists, businesses and community leaders are displayed at the Westfield/Countryside Mall, Countryside, Florida. Our seven foot Save the Biltmore Preservationist Christmas tree combines the old with the new. The Belleview Biltmore Hotel opened during the Victorian era in 1897 and a popular Christmas decoration at that time was the beautiful cone-shaped ornament, the cornucopia. Vintage homemade cornucopias were constructed from paper, paper scrap, cotton, scraps of cloth, yarn, tinsel, ribbon and filled with any assortment of candy, nuts or other holiday decorations. Some had crepe-paper closures, while others were left open at the top like our ornaments are.
See photos below with a description of our ornaments and tree after them.
Close-ups of four of our 50 hand-crafted ornaments.
14 karat gold Belleview Biltmore jewelry charm which we used for half of our ornaments.
We made assorted cornucopia ornaments, all a little different so no two are alike!
Our tree topper with enlargements of our gold charm
Our hand-crafted decorated tree with 50 cornucopia ornaments and charm topper. Santa Claus visits our tree!
For our 50 Save the Biltmore hand-crafted cornucopias, we added decorations of
pine cones, silver and gold leaves, miniature craft pearls, apples, pears, gold
and silver-coated nuts, foil, ribbon, flowers and other Christmas
decorations. Half of our ornaments are adorned in the center with a
representation of our nonprofit’s Belleview Biltmore 14 karat gold jewelry charm
to represent the “charm of the Belleview Biltmore.” The top of our tree has
larger gold printed images of our charm in a circular fashion, decorated to
match the cornucopias, and you can see the distinctive chimney stacks on the
hotel. It took us approximately 65 hours to make and decorate the cornucopias
and tree topper.
Each of our cornucopias were decorated a little differently so no two are alike! We carefully hand-crafted each ornament with a variety of festive decorations for your holiday pleasure so we hope you enjoy each unique ornament and our tree. Our Save the Biltmore Preservationist tree is located on the first floor by Sears near the Santa Claus station.
We hope you make the time to attend this wonderful Festival of
Trees.
The hours of the festival are Sunday, November 22, 2009 through Sunday November
29, 2009. Our Save the Biltmore Preservationist “A Victorian Christmas at the
Biltmore” will be displayed at the mall during these dates even if someone does
buy it on the gala night.
The
public may attend the Premier Gala Night event for $75 per person Sunday night
November 22 at the mall to purchase a decorated tree. Patrons will have the
opportunity to enjoy fine food, refreshments and entertainment as they search
for that perfect holiday tree to purchase for home or office. Hours of this
Sunday night’s gala event will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enter at the entrance
near Toojay’s Restaurant. There will be both live and silent
auctions. Delightful culinary food and tastings will be provided by 16
caterers. A Swarovski crystal tree will be at Macy’s sponsored by Bijoux, and
entertainment will be provided throughout the mall. Ann Kelly from The New
Magic radio station 94.9 FM will also be there.
Our Save the Biltmore Preservationist tree will be for sale this year at their
show. We are offering a FREE $50 Save the Biltmore Copper Membership to anyone
who buys our tree so be sure to attend Sunday’s event if you want to be the
first one to buy our tree! Just remember to contact us via email if you buy the
tree so we can send you your membership. To purchase tickets for the Premier
Gala Night please contact the UPARC Foundation office at 727-797-8712. All
proceeds from tree sales go to UPARC.
Starting Monday November 23 at the Westfield/Countryside Mall, you may buy
raffle tickets to win a decorated tree that was not sold at Sunday’s gala
event. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20, cash, check or credit card
accepted
Volunteers are still welcome and needed for the Premier Gala Night as well as
during the tree show at the mall for the five “tree pods” of which there will be
a variety of beautifully decorated trees. For more information or to volunteer,
please contact the UPARC Foundation office at 727-797-8712.
Vintage photo of the Belleview Biltmore Hotel