Santa, TreeFest Coming to Visitor Center

Visit Bucks County, the county’s tourism promotion agency, is spreading holiday spirit with its 6th Annual Bucks County Holiday TreeFest opening to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the in Bensalem.

According to a release, 25 uniquely themed trees will be on display through Jan. 7 as the main gallery of the Visitor Center is transformed into a wintry wonderland. Each tree is decorated by a local business or organization.

In addition to the TreeFest display, Santa will take photos with children from 1-3 p.m. on Sundays: Nov. 27, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11. On Dec. 11, Santa will stay for an extra hour until 4 p.m. to take pictures with pets. Be sure to bring your own camera.

TreeFest kicks-off on Tuesday, Nov. 22 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Children are invited to attend and cheer on Santa as he arrives on a fire truck with Mrs. Claus at 6 p.m. to magically turn on the Christmas lights!

This event is FREE and open to the public.

2011 Holiday TreeFest participants:

1. Snipes Farm and Education Center: “Incredible Edibles”
2. : “Bensalem’s Bravest”
3. Anthony Sinagoga Photography: “Say Cheese!”
4. Monster Mini-Golf: “Monstrous Tree”
5. Keeping Up! LLC: “Treefest Cancer Fight”
6. : “Very Merry Doughnuts”
7. Bucks County Wine Trail: “Along the Trail in Bucks”
8. BounceU: “Have Yourself a Bouncy Little Christmas”
9. Sam’s Motorcycles: “Have a Harley Holiday”
10. James River Cabinetry: “Handmade in Bucks County” (Decorated by St. Andrew Father’s Committee)
11. : “Home Away from Home”
12. Shady Brook Farm: “Giving Shoes” (Decorated by Re-use Your Shoes)
13. New Hope Chamber of Commerce: “New Hope for the Holidays”
14. Brunswick Zone XL: “Helping the Homeless”
15. Bucks County Courier Times/The Intelligencer: “Being Gentle to the Earth”
16. : “Eating Good in the Neighborhood”
17. Carson Valley Children’s Aid: “The Commitment Tree”
18. AVON: “Home for the Holidays”
19. : “Peace on Earth to All of Good Will”
20. 263 Marketplace: “Trim the Pine and Drink Some Wine”
21. Conifer’s Image: “Celebrating 100 Years of Girl Scouts”
22. The Sportsplex: “Irish Eyes Are Upon You”
23. Pearl S Buck House: “A Critter Christmas” (Decorated by Manor College)
24. Rotary Club of Bensalem: “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity”
25. Twining Village Retirement Community: “Twining Village Building the Future”

Also, the Visitor Center is also a drop-off location for Re-Use Your Shoes. Visitors are encouraged to bring gently worn shoes to the Visitor Center to help our local community in need. The Bucks County Visitor Center will also host a drop box for the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. The public is invited to bring unsealed holiday cards containing messages of cheer and appreciation to our troops. No postage necessary.

Get social with the Bucks County Holiday Treefest! Be sure to tweet your “Check-In” using Foursquare to be entered into a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to the gift shop. Visit Bucks County has teamed up with Shady Brook Farm to provide a discounted admission price to the Holiday Light Show once visitors have voted for their favorite tree at Treefest.

For a complete schedule of events, check out VisitBucksCounty.com/Treefest.

Check out the attached photo gallery of scenes from last year's TreeFest.