The popularity of Sudbury’s Christmas Tree Festival just keeps growing. This year a bumper 89 exhibitors have decorated trees for the ninth Festival at St Peter’s Church on Sudbury’s Market Hill.
Among those taking part in the festival are 22 local schools, nurseries and playgroups, eight church groups, as well as numerous youth organisations, charities, businesses and individuals. To complement the seasonal atmosphere choirs and other musicians will be performing live for the enjoyment of visitors.
Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Sudbury and Sudbury Talbot, the festival is open to the public from 10am to 7pm from Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th December, and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday 11th December. Admission costs £1 for adults and is free for children under 12 years.
Proceeds from this year’s festival will be going to the Sudbury Royal British Legion, for the armed services Personnel Rehabilitation Centre at Colchester, The Friends of St Peter, and other good causes in the community chosen by the Rotary Clubs of Sudbury and Sudbury Talbot.
This is the third festival to be organised by the two Rotary Clubs, and so far they have donated more than £7,600 to good causes from the proceeds of the events. The festival receives sponsorship and support in cash and kind, including this year from Travel and Leisure Group, Jim Lawrence Ironworks, Select Biosciences, W. A. Deacon Funeral Services, Ardmore Veterinary Group, Sworders Estate Agency, Autoinnovations Ltd., Studio 56 Hair Salon, Sudbury Garden Centre, and J. L. Chapman & Sons Electricians. Mackman Group designed all of the posters and flyers for this important local event.
‘This festival seems to keep growing in popularity year on year, both with those exhibiting and those visiting. We’ve even had to revise the layout to accommodate this year’s record number of entries. The setting of St Peter’s and the ingenuity and artistry demonstrated by those decorating the trees makes for a magical atmosphere, which really sets the scene for the Christmas season,’ said Peter Goodchild, one of the organisers.
The trees for the festival are supplied fresh from the fields at Church Farm, Bradfield Combust and Churches Together will be providing refreshments throughout the festival.