volunteers digest theirThanksgiving dinners. The 

 trees are delivered to the Hilton Thursday after- 

 noon, and Friends volunteers swing into action 

 to put the infrastructure in place, and to allocate 

 space for the tree teams. 



"I can't say enough for the generosity of the 

 Hilton. They pretty much give over the entire hotel 

 public and conference space to us. It's a wonder- 

 ful venue," Sue remarks. 



Friday morning dawns with a flurry of deco- 

 rating. By evening, the Hilton is transformed into a 

 winter wonderiand. 



The finishing touches must be in place 



Friday evening — in time for a 6 p.m. gala 

 opening and silent auction that will benefit 

 the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care 

 Center. Tckets for the gala are $50 per 

 person. 



The Festival ofTrees opens to the 

 public at the Hilton on Saturday, Nov. 27. 

 Admission forthe festival is $10. It is open 

 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and week- 

 ends from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The festival 

 closes on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. 



For information, go online to www. 

 hospiceandlifecarecenter. org. 



ABOVE: What's a holiday parade without Santa? 



HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS 

 ALONG THE CAPE FEAR COAST 



• Holiday Festival in the Park, Saturday, Nov. 

 27, 10a.m. The party begins at Wrightsville Beach 

 Municipal Park with food, music and fun for the 

 whole family. 



• North Carolina Holiday Flotilla at 

 Wrightsville Beach, Saturday, Nov. 27, 7p.m. 

 Enjoy the nautical essence of the holiday with 

 the parade of illuminated boats along the 

 Intracoastal Waterway. The light and music show 

 begins at the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge and 

 floats along Motts and Banks channels. The event 

 culminates at 7:30 p.m. with a fireworks show 

 choreographed to a medley of holiday music. It's 

 all free and open to the public. For information, 

 go online to www.ncholidayflotilla.org. 



• Carolina Beach Island of Lights Christmas 

 Parade, Friday, Dec. 3, 7p.m. The electric night- 

 time parade features floats, bands, clowns, horses 

 — and Santa. Parade travels along Lake Park 

 Boulevard from Atlanta Avenue to Federal Point 

 Shopping Center. 



• Carolina Beach Island of Lights Holiday 

 Flotilla, Saturday, Dec. 4, 7p.m. Fishing boats and 

 pleasure crafts display their holiday spirit from 

 Snows Cut to Carolina Beach Boat Basin — and 

 back. 



• Carolina Beach Island of Lights Tour of 

 Homes, Saturday, Dec. 11,4- 9p.m. Visit area 

 homes to enjoy holiday decorations and southern 

 hospitality. The $10 fee includes a map forthe 

 self-guided tour. For Island of Lights information, 

 go online to www.islandoflights.com. 



HOUDAY LIGHTS ARE DEEP-ROOTED 



Another Cape Fear holiday tradition has 

 equally deep roots — quite literally. Since 1 928, a 

 giant gnarled live oak tree, thought to be between 

 400 and 450 years old, has been the focal point 

 of Wilmington's annual tree lighting ceremony. 

 The tree, billed as The World's Largest Living 

 Christmas Tree, stands about 75 feet tall, with a 

 limb spread of more than 100 ft. 



The 2004 lighting is set for Friday, Dec. 1 0, 

 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hilton Park, U.S. 1 17 and 

 Castle Hayne Road. 



The tradition began with a contest. The 

 lateJ.E. L. "Hi Buddy" Wade, then mayor, asked 

 school children to submit nominations for an 

 official Wilmington Municipal Christmas Tree. A 

 boy and girl each received a silver dollar for nomi- 



TRADmON 



nating the stately live oak that overlooks the 

 Cape Fear River. It quickly became the city's 

 holiday icon. 



"It's the symbol of the holiday spirit," 

 says Tammy Skinner, a spokesperson for 

 Wilmington's Department of Parks, Recre- 

 ation and Downtown Services. 



Firemen first decorated the tree using 

 about 750 lights. Today, the tree features 

 7,000 lights and 2 miles of industnal wiring. 



Only World War II prevented the light- 

 ing of the tree since the tradition began, says 

 Skinner. 



For information about this year's event, 

 which includes entertainment and family 

 activities, contact Skinner at 91 0/341 -4602. 



COASTWATCH 15 



