Embassy Festival of Trees Celebrates 25 Years in Downtown Fort Wayne
The Festival of Trees at the historic Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel is a highly anticipated tradition during the holiday season. This year's festival will be a spectacular tribute to the event’s 25 years in Fort Wayne as it celebrates under the theme “Silver Bells.”
The Embassy Theatre, originally named the Emboyd, was built in 1928 as a vaudeville and movie palace to provide a majestic backdrop for the entertainment of the day, introducing northern Indiana to the biggest and brightest stars of stage and screen for nearly five decades. Faced with the wrecking ball in 1972, the community banded together to form the non-profit Embassy Theatre Foundation that runs the building today. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Embassy is a unique venue for performances and events, including its largest annual fundraiser, The Festival of Trees. As a key component of the downtown holiday season, the festival welcomes more than 15,000 visitors downtown annually.
From November 25-December 1, the lobbies of the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel are transformed into a beautifully decorated wonderland of Christmas trees. Founded in 1984, the Festival of Trees supports ongoing operational and restoration efforts for the Embassy Theatre Foundation, Inc.
The Festival kicks off on Wednesday, November 25, 6-9 p.m. with the Night of Lights, in association with the official downtown lighting ceremony. This year the Festival showcases Warner Brothers cartoons on the Embassy Silver Screen and special guests at the Festival include Icy, the Mad Ant, and Johnny—all of Fort Wayne's favorite sports mascots. November 25 also features the debut of the animated Harrison Street Windows. Designers David and Kathy James from Corner House Creations, along with artist Don Johnson, created a special storyline using animated elves as characters, which were rescued from a Cincinnati department store. Fort Wayne Metals replaced all the motors and each elf was refurbished with new clay faces, hands and feet, and outfitted with brand new clothing. View the adventure of a group of elves that must get the silver bell to the Embassy in time for the 25thSponsors are Fort Wayne Metals Products Corporation, MidWest American Federal Credit Union and NIPSCO. The windows will be open for viewing until January 1, 2010. anniversary of the festival, but it’s been stolen by a rotten troll named Glob.
The Embassy will continue to green the Festival of Trees with an eco-friendly display of nine trees. The alternative energy tree, sponsored by Don Ayres Honda and designed by Ann Beeching of the Northeast Indiana Green Build Coalition, will return as a live tree. Patrons ride the bicycle, which then powers the lights. Four additional live trees lit with LED lights, donated by Lowe’s and decorated with an environmental theme. Indiana Michigan Power is proud to sponsor this live tree grove. The live trees will be donated to Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation after the festival concludes for planting.
In addition to the live trees, four local artists have been contracted to create artistic alternatives to a traditional Christmas tree. Each tree will be designed with a unique environmental concept using found objects, recycled materials and using minimal energy. Green tree artists are Sayaka Ganz, The Art Farm, Josef Zimmerman and T.A.G. Art Company. Sponsors for the green art trees are National Serv-All and Weigand Construction.
After 25 years, the Embassy's Festival of Trees has become a true Fort Wayne event and the source for many memories among the community. This is your chance to be a part of our great city's culture and history as you walk down the beautiful main hall of the Embassy enjoying the incredibly well-designed Christmas trees; so don’t miss your chance to ring in this holiday season with the 25th Anniversary of the Festival of Trees.
Check out the Embassy Theatre website for more info!
