Pines with panache at annual Philharmonic tree festival

Sparkling and bright, only some of the trees on display at the yearly fund-raising event are traditional. Others are fantasy fare -- mermaids, a tree-turned-Southern Belle and even a 1950's inspired pink tree, complete with poodle skirt.

All are lovely, though, said festival attendee Betty Ward, a part-time Fort Myers resident.

"I would fly down here if I weren't here, just to come to this," Ward said. "But this year is just exceptional."

The Festival of Trees kicked off on Saturday at the Naples Philharmonic Center in North Naples. This year, an estimated 85 artificial trees, wreaths and other holiday items, such as trains, are on display. A Naples Philharmonic League benefit event, proceeds from the festival are put towards the center's youth music education programs. The trees and their designs were donated, and the completed faux firs were sold by silent auction on Thursday evening. They will remain on display for the public, however, through Thanksgiving Day.

For Ward and her friends, part-time residents Sandra McKenna of Fort Myers and Patricia Garbarino of Naples, finding a favorite was difficult. Garbarino said she was leaning towards some of the more traditional offerings; McKenna liked a wreath adorned with golf balls. Ward liked everything, she said.

	AT A GLANCE
	Admission to the festival is $8 for adults and $2 for children age 3 to 12. Children under 2 are free. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday. For more information, call 597-1900.

Among those "different things" is a tree entitled "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree," a shimmering, rotating, blue, green, gold and silver creation covered in sparkling seaweed, fantastical fish and glitter-encrusted crustaceans.

"The HeArt for All Seasons" is a tree of pinwheel paint palettes, brushes and crayons, finished with buckets of paper paint where gifts would usually appear.

On "Couture Christmas," a seamstress' mannequin takes up the top half of the tree, clad in a red-glitter Santa suit trimmed with white marabou and finished with matching packages beneath the tree.

And then there's that pink tree, aptly titled "Christmas in the Pink," adorned with 45 records, black-and-white bows and fuzzy dice.

Audrey and Alan Roseman couldn't find a favorite, either. There were too many, they said, although Alan Roseman confessed a soft spot for anything with a train.

"My favorite is always the trains," said the Bonita Springs resident. "It brings out the kid in me."

Like Garbarino, Audrey Roseman said she favored the traditional trees, although she also liked "A Southern Christmas" - a balsam belle complete with pine parasol.

"It's beautiful," Audrey Roseman said of the event. "It puts you in the holiday spirit."

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to come," her husband added.

Making their way through the display galleries, Marilyn Brown, Joan Johnson and Rita Mawn of North Naples marveled at the variety of designs and effort involved.

"They're exquisite," Brown said of the trees. "I'm kind of amazed at the imagination people have."

Johnson remarked on the several trees that bore a tropical or seaside style.

"That theme of living at the shore is perfect for us," she said.

Admission to the festival is $8 for adults and $2 for children age 3 to 12. Children under 2 are free. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday. For more information, call 597-1900.