MEG Foundation shows off different themed trees at Evergreens festival

SAUGUS – The MEG Foundation is ringing in the holiday season with the first annual Evergreens and Lights Festival at the restored Marleah E. Graves School today through Saturday.A forest of decorated artificial evergreens will be on display and then raffled off to the public Sunday evening.Saugus organizations and businesses have decorated more than 25 artificial trees – some tabletop, others 6-feet-tall – each with its own theme, according to the Festival Chairman and MEG Foundation board member Mary Ann Taylor.And with tree trimmings ranging from sports gear to kitchen supplies, the festival has something for everyone.The Saugus Historical Society designed a tree-themed “Saugus? Rich History,” for instance, while the Garden Club?s theme is “the Gifts of Gardening.”The public is invited to view the trees and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win them.Taylor said the Evergreens and Lights Festival is a creative new way for the MEG Foundation to raise money while joining the community in its holiday festivities this weekend.?There are several local towns who do a similar festival, so we tossed the idea around last year and we wanted to get one going because it sounded like a fun thing to do,” Taylor said. “The town?s tree lighting is Friday night and the following Saturday is the Holiday Stroll with all the schools, so we wanted to plan something to fit in with all of the Saugus festivities.”The money raised during the festival will go toward the new Welcoming Committee, which the MEG Foundation and the Saugus Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to establish. Taylor said the committee would offer a place for new Saugus homeowners and business owners to go to for information regarding the town.Walmart in Salem and the Christmas Tree Shop in Lynnfield donated the trees for the Festival and a number of local restaurants provided gift certificates for the raffle.The Evergreens and Lights Festival will be held today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free and Santa may be paying a visit. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the festival – six for $5 or 25 for $20 – and the winners will be announced at the end of the festival Sunday. The MEG Foundation is located at 54-58 Essex St. in Saugus.Jessica Trufant can be reached at [email protected].