SAUGUS — The Marleah E. Graves building has been filled with decorated Christmas trees, each with its own unique theme, to mark the start of the MEG Foundation’s Christmas Tree Festival.
The festival began on Friday at 3 p.m. and was scheduled to run until 8 p.m., but due to a maintenance issue, it ended early that day.
The foundation will provide updates on its Facebook page regarding the hours for the upcoming weekend. If the hours remain unchanged, the festival will take place on Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. Also on Sunday, residents can expect a petting zoo at the festival.
The event will take a break during the week and resume on Nov. 21 from 3 to 8 p.m. and end on Nov. 22 from 3 to 8 p.m.
On the final Sunday, children will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus at 4 p.m. and take their picture with him, courtesy of professional photographer Steve Bevacqua, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Janice Jarosz, the foundation’s President, said that every year, the kids look forward to when Santa comes. She also expressed gratitude for Bevacqua, who will be taking the photos free of charge.
Raffle tickets can be bought at the door, and an abundance of prizes are available.
“This is our 15th year doing this,” Jarosz said. “Our elves are the foundation’s board of directors, and they work very hard. The trees get more beautiful every year. You’d think we’d run out of themes, but they’re just so creative.”
Each tree had different prizes that could be won, including gift cards, toys, clothing, kitchenware, and more. There are also tables of raffle baskets.
The funds raised from the raffles will be allocated toward the MEG Building.
“We’re working on trying to get a ramp,” Jarosz said. “That’s going to be our big project, and whatever we make here, that will probably kick off that project.”
She noted that since the MEG is a public building, they wanted to ensure it was accessible to everyone.
“That’s going to be a big deal because a lot of people can’t get in here. I’ve been trying to do this for years,” Jarosz said.
She showed off some of the trees, each brightly decorated with lights and decorations. She specifically pointed out two trees that were being dedicated to Leonora “Lee” Dyment, who died Sept. 15, 2025.
Dyment was born in Fana, Norway, which is why both trees, one made by the Saugus Garden Club and the other made by the foundation, were decorated with Norway’s flag.
Dyment moved to Saugus in 1961 and was a member of both the Garden Club and the MEG Foundation, leaving a lasting impact on all those who knew her.
