Designers and committee members of the upcoming 18th annual Riverside Children’s Theatre Festival of Trees fundraiser, Nov. 20-22, gathered at Chelsea’s on Cardinal for a pre-event thank-you reception last Wednesday.
That Festival of Trees has become one of Vero’s most beloved seasonal traditions is due to the time and effort of enthusiastic festival volunteers and talented designers who generously donate all the decorations that go into their magnificent creations. Last year’s event raised $140,000, providing $30,000 in scholarships and operational funds for RCT educational programs.
Monti Jones and Faye Estes originally brought the concept of Festival of Trees, which occurs in hundreds of cities across the country, to Riverside Children’s Theatre. Today, more than 60 designers and 25 committee members are hard at work on November’s Shared Traditions-themed event.
Jones has a special place in her heart for the organization, crediting it for the start of a successful singing and acting career by her son and RCT alumnus, Tilky Montgomery Jones. It was while performing on Riverside Theatre’s main stage in the musical Oliver that a fellow professional actor asked his New York agent to listen to Jones sing.
That led to his joining the boy band Take 5, and later to garnering parts in television shows, One Tree Hill and Dirty Little Liars, and films, The Guardian and Never Back Down. His most recent role was as the Tim Tebow-esque love interest of Hayden Panettiere’s character on Nashville.
“If it hadn’t been for Riverside he wouldn’t be acting,” said Jones, who has participated in all but two FOTs. “Even when we were traveling around the world with Tilky we had to look for ornaments for the tree as soon as we got back. Do you know how hard it is to find Christmas ornaments in Asia? We had to decorate the tree with origami pieces and things we collected on the tour.”
Linda Downey, who retired in May as RCT education director and was replaced by Jim Van Valen in September, has continued as FOT chairman this year.
“I love the theatre and doing the event so that is why I did it for one last time,” said Downey. “I also like traditions, which is why I picked that theme this year. I thought it would give the designers more latitude.”
Kathy Cigala reminisced about the trial-and-error aspect of early festivals, saying, “I can laugh about it now, but I remember that first year we did not know how to deliver the trees afterward. Lucy Hendricks lived next to a new condominium and she had them save all the refrigerator boxes to pack each tree in them. It took us three hours to wrap and deliver each tree. We were exhausted.”
Longtime committee member Nancy Ross said the event has meant the world to her and daughter Mackenzie, who takes classes and has performed at RCT for the last 10 years. Each year Mackenzie searches for the perfect ornament at the festival for their family.
“They are all over our tree at home and they hold a special place in our hearts,” said Ross.
In addition to the two-day festival, the event includes a Silver Bells Preview for seniors and special-needs guests; a glitzy Gala Preview Party; Breakfast with Santa for the kids; and a new It’s a Wrap Party, for last-minute bidding and shopping at the Christmas Shoppe.
