Willowfield’s Christmas Tree Festival lights up
Willowfield Parish Church’s Christmas Tree Festival started on 3 December with a switch–on by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Reverend Richard Clarke.
The Ulster Youth Orchestra played carols and other festive songs throughout the evening as a large crowd of visitors made their way through the indoor ‘forest’ of trees.
Archbishop Clarke said that the event was, “absolutely wonderful”.
He remarked: “The ingenuity of it is fantastic. It’s lovely to see also the move from the secular idea of Christmas through to the actual Christian message of Christmas.”
The event is running from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday, and the same layout will be kept for this Sunday’s services.
Willowfield Church has been transformed by the 60 trees, decorated in two different ways.
More than twenty artificial trees focus on common Christmas traditions such as advent calendars, snowmen and Santa.
Forty natural trees show scenes and characters from the Christmas story, as well as other illustrated Bible verses and themes of Christmas carols.
Visitors can enjoy tea, coffee and traybakes and a range of crafts, jams and chutneys are also on sale in their market.
The hope is that this Christmas festival will contribute to the transformation of another of the parish buildings for the benefit of this corner of East Belfast.
All donations raised are going towards the redevelopment of the church hall, which is extensively used for youth, community and children’s work.
Originally built in the 1950s, the hall requires a major renovation to meet the future needs of the community.
This project is likely to cost £1 million and £250,000 has been raised to date.
With new facilities, the church hall would offer a sports space, good quality meeting rooms and kitchens where healthy eating can be promoted.
View the photo gallery here.