Mark Johnson provided entertainment during last year’s Forks Festival of Trees at the Rainforest Arts Center. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)

Mark Johnson provided entertainment during last year’s Forks Festival of Trees at the Rainforest Arts Center. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)

Twenty decorated trees to be auctioned at Forks Festival of Trees

FORKS — The Rainforest Arts Center will be filled with decorated Christmas trees for the Forks Festival of Trees this weekend.

Twenty trees will be on display at the arts center at 35 N. Forks Ave. for a Saturday open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and in the evening during the downtown merchants’ Moonlight Madness from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Doors to the display will open at 1 p.m. Sunday with live music, and the live auction will start at 2 p.m.

Proceeds go to the organizer of the festival, Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rain Forest, and fund its charities.

The event showcases the creativity of West End tree decorators, according to Soroptimist President Mary Anne Earley. All are working on the theme of “All I Want for Christmas.”

Twelve decorated wreaths also will be auctioned to the highest bidder.

A silent auction is planned both days. Items include several made by Olympic Corrections Center inmates.

The OCC also created a log cabin dollhouse that is one of the premiums for the raffle tree, Earley said.

Cookies will be on sale both days and refreshments will be available.

Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rain Forest funds, among other things, scholarships for young women as well as for older women who are heads of household to allow them to go back to school for additional education, Earley said.

The group also provides gas money for women who need out-of-town cancer treatments and funds anti-human trafficking projects, Days for Girls kits and weekend food backpacks for students.

The Soroptimists adopted Forks Middle School and provides recognition for students of the month, Kindles and pizza parties, Earley said.

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Tim Branham, left, his wife Mickey and Bill Pearl work on a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle entitled “Days to Remember.” The North Olympic Library at its main branch on South Peabody Street in Port Angeles sponsored a jigsaw puzzle contest on Saturday, and 15 contestants challenged their skills. With teams of two to four, contestants try to put together a puzzle in a two-hour time limit. Justin Senter and Rachel Cook finished their puzzle in 54 minutes to win the event. The record from past years is less than 40 minutes. The next puzzle contest will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 8. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
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