If you haven't started your holiday decorating, you may want to make plans to attend the annual Festival of Trees on Saturday.

Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on custom-decorated Christmas trees and wreaths. But they will also be able to benefit a good cause - Challenged Child and Friends, a school that provides educational, therapeutic, nursing and family support services to children with disabilities.

"This is our largest fundraising event of the year," said Gail Schneider, Challenged Child fundraising coordinator.
"The money raised from the Festival of Trees is a huge part of our success in helping the children at Challenged Child and Friends."

The event will include a Noel Preview Party at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by a black-tie gala at 7 p.m. The preview party will be held in the home of Bob and Red Buisson and the gala will be held in the barn.

"It's in Gainesville on Lake Lanier. They have a tremendous art collection that will be on display," Schneider said.

"And the barn is a beautiful, four-story building. It's really an amazing building - unlike any barn you've seen."

The festival will include a live and silent auction for items such as jewelry, weekend getaways and of course, professionally decorated trees. The trees range in size from 4 to 9 feet tall.

The auctions will also include 50 pieces of original artwork, donated by local artists.

"We really have a little something for everyone," Schneider said.

The preview party will be an intimate, cocktail party, while the gala will include complimentary wine and heavy hors d'oeuvres and can accommodate up to 400 guests.

Tickets for the preview party - which includes a sneak peak at auction items and admission into the gala - are $300 per couple, while tickets to the gala are $80 per person.

"The festival is really a great way to kick off the holidays," Schneider said.

"Seeing all of the trees decorated with the lights and everything - it's a really pretty setting. And you can get really good deals on holiday gifts."