CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees
CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees Returns December 2-4to Celebrate 34 Years as Arkansas Holiday Tradition
Ticket sales are underway for the 34th annual CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees, a three-day holiday celebration and fundraiser for the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute scheduled for December 2-4 at the Statehouse Convention Center Ballroom in downtown Little Rock.
The CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees serves as an umbrella title for a slate of six individual events all centered around seasonal celebrations benefiting the statewide network of radiation therapy providers.
More than 30 elaborately decorated trees once again serve as the focal point of the festival, which offers attendees daily opportunities to “Stroll through the Forest” to view trees which vary from the elegantly attired to the whimsically clever.
“Stroll Through the Forest” times are scheduled for: Thursday, December 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Friday, December 3, 1:30-4 p.m.; and Saturday, December 4, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Ticket prices for “Stroll Through the Forest” are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Children age two and under receive free admission.
Other Festival of Trees activities and events include:
· Senior Day. Opening day only, seniors ages 55 and over are admitted free between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. As an added attraction, Dr. David Lipschitz—author, television and radio personality and director of the Longevity Center at St. Vincent—will present a free program on important health care issues at 10:30 a.m. Presented by: Fox Ridge Living Center. (10 a.m.-4 p.m., December 2; tickets, $5 adults under age 55, $3 children age 12 and under; adults age 55 and up and children age two and under, admitted free.)
· Sugar Plum Ball. Visions of sugar plums dance not only the head, but also on the dance floor at this classic daddy-daughter date night event in which a little princess and the Prince Charming of her choice step directly into a storybook setting with for an evening of dining, dancing and entertainment. Presented by: Jolly Family Dentistry. (6-8:30 p.m., December 2; tickets, $35 each.)
· Festival of Fashion. In the grand tradition of New York Fashion Week, the annual Festival fashion event invites you to experience an extreme show makeover while sipping champagne and sampling hors d’oeuvres amid theatre seating as you get an up-close look at some of the season’s most chic designs presented by 10 of the trendiest boutiques and clothiers in Central Arkansas. Presented by: Little Rock Soiree. (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., December 3; tickets, $50 each.)
· Festival After Dark. A casual holiday mixer designed especially for sophisticated singles and cosmopolitan couples, Festival After Dark highlights include live entertainment by Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster Band and “A Taste of the Season” which features a sampling of many delicious dishes from some of Central Arkansas’ finest restaurants. Presented by: Eric Rob & Isaac Ad Guys; HealthScope Benefits; USA Drug. (7 p.m., December 3; tickets, $40 each in advance, $50 each at the door.)
· Breakfast with Santa. Family fun is paramount at this hearty, holiday meal with the Big Man. Arkansas’ own children’s recording star Brian Kinder will provide live entertainment, and children can get their picture with Santa. Presented by: CARTI Auxiliary Friends of Festival. (9-10:30 a.m., December 4; tickets, $15 each.)
· Tux ‘n Trees. Fine dining, live and silent auctions and the presentation of the CARTI Champion Award to Glazer’s Distributors of Arkansas are among the highlights of this formal gala, the cornerstone Festival event since 1976. Presented by: Rogers Photo Archive and Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory. (6 p.m., December 4; tickets, $200 each.)
The CARTI Auxiliary “Deck the Halls Gift Shop” will also be open throughout the Festival for shoppers wishing to ring in and ring up the season by browsing through an assortment of holiday bargains and goodies.
Since its debut in 1976, the CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees has evolved from an affair measured in hours into an Arkansas holiday tradition marked by days and has raised in excess of $3 million for CARTI and the cancer patients of Arkansas.
For a complete schedule of Festival events and/or ticket availability, contact the Festival of Trees office at 501/660-7634 or visit the CARTI web site at www.carti.com.
Gold sponsors for the 34th annual CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees include: Glazer’s; KARK 4; Motorola; Peabody Little Rock; Planet GIANT; Supersmile; TCPrint Solutions; and Verizon.
CARTI is a nonprofit radiation therapy center with facilities in Little Rock on the St. Vincent, Baptist Medical Center and UAMS campuses, and in Conway, Mountain Home, North Little Rock, and Searcy. The CARTI Foundation was incorporated in 1983 as a non-profit organization to assist CARTI in meeting the current and future needs of Arkansas cancer patients and their families.
