Get ready to have fun and decorate for the holidays with the 2nd Annual Lighting The Way Christmas Tree Auction! This unique fundraiser is hosted by Thalian Association Community Theatre to benefit the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.
Here’s how it works:
Thalian Association will provide a FREE tabletop Christmas tree to anyone who wants to participate. They can be decorated in the theme of your choice; you can promote a business or just be creative, perhaps enjoy a spirited competition between friends and neighbors! Once decorated, participants drop their trees at the Community Arts Center where they will be on display in preparation for an online auction that is open to the public. Winning bidders will be announced at a grand finale, but you do not need to be present to win.
Here’s the schedule:
Christmas trees can be picked up at the Community Arts Center on a first come basis during regular business hours, Mon. – Thurs., 9am – 9pm, and Fri. & Sat., 9 am – 5 pm. Tip: Battery powered lights are suggested for the trees.
Drop off your decorated tree Mon. Nov. 4th – Thurs. Nov. 7th. All trees will be on display in the museum lobby of the Community Arts Center.
The online auction, featuring the beautifully decorated one-of-a-kind tabletop Christmas trees, opens for bidding November 11th – December 8th at https://event.gives/holidaytrees.
Everyone is invited to the grand finale, December 8th, from 3 – 4pm, to celebrate Christmas cheer with cookies, hot chocolate, and the sounds of the season with Voices, the enchanting Community Arts Center Choir. The winning bidders will be announced after the concert, but you do not have to be present to win. All proceeds will be dedicated to much-needed improvements at the Community Arts Center. This year our goal is a digital sound system for the 2nd Street Stage to be enjoyed by all community users. Join us in making this holiday season unforgettable. #LightingTheWay2024
The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center is owned by the City of Wilmington and managed by Thalian Association Community Theatre. The building is a historic and cultural treasure that has been the center of recreation and art for generations of local children. Today the building continues to be the home for children, art, and recreation while serving as a mini museum of the Wilmington and New Hanover County WWII home front. The World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) preservation organization, is the de-facto preservationist of the building’s history and maintains the home front museum. For more information go to www.wilmingtoncommunityarts.org.
Established in 1788, Thalian Association Community Theatre is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to enhancing the Cape Fear region through live community theatre and arts education. Thalian Association Community Theatre produces five major productions annually on the Tony Rivenbark Stage at historic Thalian Hall and professionally manages the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center for the City of Wilmington. The youth theatre program offers training and performance opportunities for children ages seven through high school seniors. In 2007, Thalian Association Community Theatre was designated North Carolina’s Official Community Theater by the state legislature. For more information, go to www.thalian.org.