BATAVIA — It was time once again for the Holland Land Office Museum to kick off the Wonderland of Trees with a Friday night gala. Area residents had their first chance to see the nearly 30 decorated Christmas trees, listen to music by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra Brass Quartet and participate in the gift basket raffle.
“We’ve got 28 trees. It’s actually more than we’ve gotten in the last few years,” said museum Executive Director Ryan Duffy. “It’s local organizations and businesses that decorate them.”
Are there some organizations or businesses that decorated trees for the first time for the Wonderland of Trees?
“We actually have quite a few,” he said, naming Batavia Automotive Inc., HP Hood, LLC, Genesee Area Genealogists as being new participants in the 21st annual Wonderland.
The others who provided decorated trees this year are: Anna Ingalsbee Lovell Chapter NSDAR, Arc GLOW, Batavia Community Garden, Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel, Batavia Garage Door, Batavia High School Life Skills Class, Chmielowiec Painting, Inc., city of Batavia Historic Preservation Commission, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, Friends of Batavia Peace Garden, Genesee Community College Teacher Education Club, Genesee County Office for the Aging, Genesee County Women’s Republican Club, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Genesee Symphony Orchestra, Mercy Flight, Museum Quilt Guild, Resurrection Roman Catholic Parish – St. Joseph’s & St. Mary’s, Stafford Garden Club, Stafford Historical Society, Tim Hortons Bakery & Cafe, Tompkins Community Bank, town of Bergen Historian’s Office, WBTA AM & FM, Zonta Club of Batavia – Genesee County. The theme for the Wonderland of Trees this year is “Flannel & Frosty” and the food was provided by D&R Depot of Le Roy.
“With the weather, I think it was a pretty good crowd. I wasn’t sure how that would affect it,” Duffy said. “There’s still quite a few people here already.”
The orchestra will also perform three other concerts throughout the holiday season at the HLOM.
The museum will be open regular hours through the end of the year and the trees will be up for the public to see, Duffy said.
Mike and Kathy Jackson of Batavia were attending their first Wonderland of Trees this year.
“Friends encouraged us to come. We’re glad that the weather didn’t postpone it,” Kathy Jackson said.
Mike Jackson said the event was something they may have had the chance to attend, but never gotten around to doing.
“We’ve been in Batavia 30 years. We’re still finding things like this that we haven’t done yet,” he said.
After trying some of the hors d’oeuvres, they planned to walk around and see the trees and other decorations and listen to the music.
“We like to support our local community,” Kathy Jackson said.
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