BAKER CITY — The most magical time of the year is here with Twinkle in Time, a weekend of holiday events in Baker City.

It all kicks off Thursday, Dec. 5, with the Festival of Trees preview night at the Baker Heritage Museum, 2480 Grove St. The festival is a project of Baker City Downtown to raise money for grants awarded to local organizations.

In 2023, the festival raised more than $40,000 which benefited 13 different groups in the county, said Ariel Reker, executive director of Baker City Downtown.

“We are excited to host again and hope for another great year to benefit our 12 awardees,” she said.

This year’s grant recipients are Baker Backpack Program, Baker County Community Literacy Coalition, Baker County YMCA, Baker Relief Nursery, Baker Swim Team, Best Friends of Baker, Broadcast Baker, CASA of Eastern Oregon, Eastern Oregon Regional Theater, Friends of Baker Heritage Museum, Powder River Music Revue and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Festival of Trees

Preview night tickets are $25 and can be purchased at bakercitydowntown.com (under “Events,” select “Twinkle in Time”), and at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the evening includes hors d’oeuvres and a no-host wine and beer bar.

Tickets are sold out for Friday night’s gala, which is when the decorated trees are sold by live auction.

Saturday, Dec. 7 is Family Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum. Admission is free. Visitors can see the decorated trees and art activities will again be organized by Crossroads Carnegie Art Center.

4-H Christmas Bazaar

The annual 4-H Christmas Bazaar will be Dec. 6-7 at the Baker County Fairgrounds, 2600 East St. Each year, this bazaar features a variety of vendors offering art, crafts, baked goods and more.

Hours will be noon to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.

Food and more

The Baker County Chamber of Commerce is coordinating food and vendors to set up on Court Street, between Main and First streets, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Cookie Crawl

The Cookie Crawl returns on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. in downtown Baker City. Boxes will be sold for $10 each during the festival’s Family Day from 10 a.m. until they sell out. BCD is selling 300 boxes, one per household.

Photos with Santa

The Baker City Kiwanis Club will again offer photos with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Baker County Event Center, 2600 East St.

Photos are $10 per session and include two 5×7 or three 4×6 prints. Prints are normally available for pickup within 15 minutes. There will be an opportunity to write Santa a letter.

Proceeds support Kiwanis community service projects, which focus on children and youth.

Twilight Parade

The twilight parade, organized by the Baker County Chamber of Commerce, is Saturday, Dec. 7. This year’s theme is “Frozen Frontier.”

The parade starts at 5 p.m. The Baker City Lions Club will again place burn barrels along Main Street to warm the crowd, and provide free coffee and hot chocolate from Sorbenots. Immediately after the parade, everyone is invited to gather for the tree lighting in Court Plaza.