Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival Celebrates 30 Years of Giving

[Editor's Note: This announcement was originally published on Oct. 26.]

Thirty years ago, an idea born from chatting with friends on a Fairfield beach blossomed into an annual Christmas festival that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for a local nonprofit.  

Held annually during the first weekend in December, a 15-room historic home in Fairfield called the Burr Homestead, is transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Interior designers and decorators carefully decorate every room and hallway; there are handmade Christmas wreaths, trees and garlands for sale; as well as custom-made fresh wreaths.  There are special events for people of all ages that include a preview party gala, children’s event, Christmas tea, wine tasting and a quilt raffle.  All proceeds from this four-day whirlwind of activities benefit one local nonprofit organization.  

The Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival’s inaugural year in 1981 raised $12,500 for the Barnum Festival in Bridgeport and the 2011 recipient, the Burroughs Community Center in Bridgeport, recently received their check for $236,000.  Since the Festival’s inception, over $2.5 million dollars and at least 90 local nonprofits have benefitted from this annual fundraiser--from Ahlbin Centers for Rehabilitative Medicine to United Home Care, Inc. 

According to Carol Wheeler, a Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival founding member, “The main core of the inaugural committee had so much fun doing this festival that they decided to incorporate, form a board and stage the festival every year for the benefit of organizations that were in need in the community.”  

For many years, several nonprofit agencies benefitted from the Festival but around 1990, “We determined to have fewer recipients so that the dollars we earned would really impact an agencies program.  From that point on, we dedicated our funds to one or possibly two agencies and we asked them to help us run the committees and find underwriting from their donor lists,” said Candace Raveis, a Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival founding member.  

Today, more than 3,000 attendees walk through the doors of the Burr Homestead during the Festival weekend.  It continues to take many volunteers, local businesses and community leaders who donate valuable time, items and services throughout the year to make it a success.   Several founding members of this holiday tradition continue to actively serve on the Festival’s Board and Honorary Board.

The recipient of the Festival is picked by the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival Board which diligently reviews all applicants. This year’s beneficiary organization is St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services in Trumbull, CT. 

The center is a subsidiary of the St. Vincent’s Health Services System and a major provider in Southern Connecticut of specialized lifelong education and therapeutic programs for children and adults with multiple developmental disabilities and special health care needs. The system offers care and support to individuals and their families challenged by special needs through all ages and stages of life.

The tri-chairs of this year’s event are Christine Brown, Christina Longden and Carol Timpanelli. The theme for this year’s event, which will take place Dec 1-4, is “A Special Year . . .30 Years of Giving ."

For more information on the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival, please visit www.FairfieldChristmasTreeFestival.org or email mediarelations@FairfieldChristmasTreeFestival.com.  

For information on St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services please contact Deborah Cox at 203-386-2714, email Deborah.Cox@stvincents.org or visit www.stvincentsspecialneeds.org.