The link in Nocatee was transformed Friday, Dec. 13, into a holiday wonderland during its inaugural Festival of Trees. And, though the focus of the event was a small forest of festively decorated Tannenbäume, visitors were treated to a multitude of sights and sounds celebrating the season.
About 700 people sent in RSVPs and, by the looks of things, nearly every one of those kids from 1 to 92 attended.
The trees — each decorated by a different group, business or organization — were displayed in the main lobby, with entertainers performing Christmas favorites on the stage and strolling around the grounds. Adults visited the cash bar, and several families and friends gathered for a commemorative photo at the selfie station. A variety of treats and baked goods were sold, raising money for good causes. One whole room was devoted to kids’ crafts and another was hopping with holiday shoppers seeking unique gifts from a variety of creative vendors.
Santa and Mrs. Claus met with children and posed for family portraits amid a simulated snowscape in the Flagler Health+ 360 Immersive Studio. In addition, many children were excited to meet performers dressed as Elsa from “Frozen,” Buddy the Elf and a toy ballerina in the main lobby.
“It’s awesome!” exclaimed one woman as she circulated, photographing the brightly lit trees. “I feel like a kid.”
The evening concluded with a “blizzard” of artificial snow and squeals of joy just outside the link, located at 425 Town Plaza Ave., Ponte Vedra.
The event was presented in partnership with Jessica Chard of To The Moon Party Designs.
Chard actually pitched the idea for the Festival of Trees. She met with Jeff Tawney, director of operations for the link, in October to work out the details.
The idea came from one of her favorite holiday memories growing up in Minnesota: Going to a festival of trees with her mother. So, she suggested they try the same thing here.
Chard, who calls herself “scrappy and resourceful” and has a lot of contacts, enlisted the help of friend and artist Lauren Klose, as well as people she knew who would like to sponsor a tree. In this way, the festival highlighted businesses, the local economy, nonprofits important to the community and more.
“We’ve provided a magical Christmas space where people can come and have magical traditions,” Chard said. “I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last month and a half.”
Each of the trees had a different theme, and their sale benefited charities of the creators’ choice. (See the list below for more details.)
Enormous window murals created by Artistic Aire artist Lauren Klose greeted revelers as they arrived at the link.
Klose, who moved here from northern Virginia about a dozen years ago, is the same artist who did the “Nocatee” mural on the outside wall of the Treylor Park restaurant. In fact, if you’ve seen any of the newer indoor and outdoor murals in this area, there’s a good chance Klose painted them.
For the link windows, she used Behr paint from Home Depot. It took about four days to complete the murals.
“That was a really fun project,” she said. “It was the first time I’d ever painted on windows.”
Unlike her other work, where durability is essential, the window images will have to be removed after the holidays. Before painting, Klose researched the process and found that, using certain cleaning products, even the high-end paint can be removed.
Of course, any holiday event at this time of year would be incomplete without music.
Among the performers was Luann Dragone, who performed a variety of Christmas favorites on her piano. Dragone, who has a doctorate in music theory, is a longtime music teacher for students of all ages, though she especially enjoys teaching teens and adults.
She moved to Florida, as many do, to escape the cold. When Chard asked her to provide music at the festival, she was happy to do so.
Following Dragone was an a cappella group from Ponte Vedra High School, the Sharkappellas. Founded in 2010, the entirely student-run group has 18 members. They rehearse for several hours per week, often learning their parts individually, and when they bring the group together to harmonize, “it sounds so beautiful,” said member Bianca Connelly.
Connelly said one of the things she really enjoys about the group is its people.
“There are so many nice and good people, especially those who run it and make you feel so welcome,” she said.
Another member, Niran Ramesh, said she has enjoyed performing since she was in middle school but always found that it made her nervous. That changed when she joined the Sharkappellas.
“I’ll never forget the rush that I felt the first time performing with everybody,” she said. “The energy going through the entire group as we’re singing, it’s just such a nice feeling. That was the first time I ever truly enjoyed performing.”
Connelly and Ramesh both gave credit to the group’s current president, Adrianna Class, and vice president, Oliver Carson, for their guidance and support.
For the past five years, the Sharkappellas have competed in the International Competition of High School A cappella (ICHSA) and have received awards — including best choreography and best student arrangement. The group hopes to compete at the next ICHSA, but they need to raise money to travel to the competition in Fort Myers. Toward that end, they held a bake sale at the Festival of Trees.
During their performance for the Festival of Trees, the Sharkappellas sang as a group and then individual soloists took the spotlight for specific pieces.
One member of the group was Nicolas DeNora, a recent transplant from Pennsylvania, who not only sings but plays and teaches piano, the latter through his company, Piano Perfect.
DeNora said he grew up watching the “Pitch Perfect” movies over and over. (The films are about a student a cappella group.) Though he’d had a musical background, the world of a cappella singing really only revealed itself to him the first day he stepped into the PVHS drama room and everyone gathered around to sing.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “It was almost magical. I couldn’t get the smile off my face for about a week.”
DeNora has found music to have an inspirational, even transformative, quality. He has witnessed that in the faces of the residents of a nursing home where he has performed and in the decision by one of his students who, frustrated with a lack of progress, considered giving up piano until DeNora shared the struggles he’d had in his own journey. Winning back that student enriched his own love of teaching.
Following the Sharkappellas performance at the Festival of Trees, DeNora set up his Nord Grand 2 piano and played a variety of pieces for attendees.
Another group of performers, the Classic Charmed Quartet, did some good old-fashioned Christmas caroling throughout the festival.
By the time the evening drew to a close and the last snowflake fell, it was clear that the attendees had thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Technology consultant Matthew Garvey, who has an office at the link, said his kids loved it.
“They did an amazing job,” he said of the organizers.
THE TREES
Tree Theme: Taylor Swift
Organization: Gifted Boutique
Charity: Betty Griffin Center
Tree Theme: Peacock Elegance
Organization: Mastercraft Blinds
Charity: V for Victory
Tree Theme: Gingerbread Theme
Organization: Amy Makes That
Charity: Betty Griffin Center
Tree Theme: Just Breathe
Organization: Unlockt
Charity: Sapna Foundation
Tree Theme: Swiftmas
Organization: Noc'n OUT Breast Cancer
Charity: Donna Foundation
Tree Theme: Sunshine and Rainbows
Organization: Holly's Hope for Retinoblastoma
Tree Theme: Peace, Love, Music
Organization: Beaches Music Together
Charity: Art With A Heart in Healthcare
Tree Theme: Nutcracker
Organization: DJ Joe Allen
Charity: Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
Tree Theme: Merry Swiftmas Treepee
Organization: Dream TentZzz
Charity: Isaiah 117 House
Tree Theme: Scandinavian
Organization: The Little Social
Tree Theme: Holiday Cheer
Organization: Greenwood School
Charity: Greenwood School
Tree Theme: Victory Wonderland — Special Olympics
Organization: Care on Call Pediatrics
Charity: Special Olympics Florida — Area 4
Tree Theme: Christmas in the South
Organization: Absolute Top Dollar
Charity: The Hubbard House
Tree Theme: Wicked and Wonderful
Organization: Private Label Staffing
Charity: Isaiah 117
Tree Theme: Deck the Halls with Pickleballs!
Organization: Crystal Doxtator — Real Estate Agent
Charity: St. Jude
Tree Theme: Blush & Crimson Cheer
Organization: Order & Co.
Charity: Hubbard House
Tree Theme: A Little Jesus
Organization: Worlds Greatest Heating and Air
Charity: Hadassah's Hope
Tree Theme: Party Theme
Organization: The Social Society
Charity: Max Block Food Pantry
Tree Theme: Stronger Together
Organization: Titan Up Fitness
Charity: John Gillenwaters
Tree Theme: Frozen Treats
Organization: Mooval Frozen Treat
Charity: Tim Tebow Foundation
Tree Theme: Twenty Mile Paws Tree
Organization: 20 Mile HOA
Charity: FUR
Tree Theme: Sharkappellas
Organization: Ponte Vedra High School Sharkapellas
Tree Theme: Nikki Loves Tree
Organization: Acton Academy
Charity: Nikki Loves
