Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival facts for kids

The Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival is a super fun event held every winter on the Isle of Wight in England. It takes place in different spots around Brighstone and Mottistone. This special festival helps raise money for many different charities, both local and national. It's a great way to get into the holiday spirit and help others!

What is the Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival?

The Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival started way back in 1996. Since then, it has raised almost £100,000 for charities! That's a lot of money to help people.

The festival usually kicks off on a Wednesday. There's a special tree lighting ceremony at Brighstone Church. This event helps the Earl Mountbatten Hospice. More than 7,000 visitors come to the festival each year.

Famous people have even joined the fun! In 2009, Sally Taylor MBE from BBC South Today helped light the "Tree of Joy." More recently, Alan Titchmarsh was a special guest too.

Where is the Festival Held?

The festival happens in several places around Brighstone. These include St. Mary’s Church, the Methodist Church, and the Wilberforce Hall. You can also find events at the Social Club and the Three Bishops Pub.

Outside Brighstone, the festival reaches the Isle of Wight Pearl on Military Road. It also includes St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in nearby Mottistone.

To make it easy for visitors, there's a special Park & Ride system. You can park at the Isle of Wight Pearl. Then a shuttle bus takes you into Brighstone. Another shuttle can take you to Mottistone and back.

Brighstone itself has other cool places to see. There's a church built in 1190. You can also visit a museum with a Victorian design.

What Happens at the Festival?

The main attraction is seeing over 200 decorated Christmas trees. Charities, businesses, families, and individuals decorate these trees. Each tree has its own special theme!

Besides the trees, there are many other fun activities. You can enjoy carol services and concerts by military bands. Choirs also sing beautiful songs. The lighting of the hospice tree starts the four-day event. There's also a Christmas gift and craft fair. You can find unique presents there.

It's free to enter the festival. However, donations are always welcome. Your donations help support the charities involved.

Who Participates in the Festival?

Many different groups create and display the trees. These include charities, clubs, schools, and local businesses. This makes it one of the biggest Christmas festivals in England. It's a very important event for people in the west of the island. Many locals help out.

The churches get decorated for the festival. Banners are put up all across the Back of the Wight area.

Many organizations use their trees to share information. For example, the National Health Service and RSPCA participate. They use their trees to ask for money or raise awareness for their causes.