Twenty full-size decorated trees will be auctioned at the Festival of Trees gala on Dec. 1, organized by Baker City Downtown. Proceeds from the event will be awarded as grants to community organizations.

BAKER CITY — The Festival of Trees in Baker City has a few firsts this year.

To start, Baker City Downtown has taken stewardship of the festival, which was previously a project of the Saint Alphonsus Foundation, and will use the auction proceeds to fund community grants.

Another new aspect is the location, which is moving to the Baker Heritage Museum, 2480 Grove St.

Also, the festival is part of the Twinkle in Time weekend in Baker City on Dec. 1 and 2 that includes a downtown holiday market, 4-H Christmas bazaar, Cookie Crawl, twilight parade and tree lighting.

The gala

The fundraising portion of the festival is the gala on Friday, Dec. 1. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the evening begins at 6 p.m.

Tickets, which are limited, cost $40 and include a catered buffet-style dinner by Mine City Catering, a no-host bar by The Rustic Nail and entrance to the live auction of decorated trees.

Ariel Reker, executive director of Baker City Downtown, said the gala will feature 20 full-size trees for auction, and all have a minimum value of $500.

In addition to the auction, the evening features raffles, games and a silent auction.

“This event has sold out in the past — it’s recommended to purchase your tickets early,” Reker said.

She said another ticket option is to purchase a table, which seats eight.

To purchase gala tickets, or for more information, contact Amy Briels at 541-910-8538 or amybriels@gmail.com.

Family Day

Saturday brings family day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum, and attendees are asked to bring a donation for the food bank.

This is a chance to see the decorated trees, bid on silent auction items and make art projects with Crossroads Carnegie Art Center.

Santa visits

The Baker City Kiwanis Club is again offering photos with Santa on Dec. 2 at the Baker County Event Center, 2600 East St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Photos are $10, and include two 5×7 or three 4×6 prints. Proceeds from this event support the club’s community service projects.