Thurmont readies for Festival of Trees

(10/27) Thurmont will kick off its Christmas festivities on November 29th with The Festival of Trees lighting ceremony in the newly renovated Thurmont Main Street Building directly following the lighting of the town tree which will occur on the square at 6pm.

The Main Street Building on water Street at one time served as the public library for Thurmont. The library moved out in 2008, when the new Thurmont Regional Library was opened on Moser Road.

In 2010, the town received a $150,000 Community Legacy Program grant to purchase the 1874 building. The building got a new lease on life in 2012 when the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development provided a $75,000 grant for the renovation of the building, which will serve as Thurmont's Main Street headquarters and public meeting spaces.

According to Vickie Grinder, Thurmont’s Main Street Manager, the Main Street Building has been fully renovated for use and ready to be used to support the public and the businesses in the main street district. “What better time to do it than the lighting of the town for the holidays. “ said Vickie. “ We would like to invite businesses, organizations and citizens to participate in the launching of the Main Street building with our Festival of Trees.” The Main Street Board of Decorators came up with the idea and will most certainly be an annual event each Christmas.

The Main Street Building will be filled with Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes, from tabletop trees to traditional size trees, which individuals and any business can sponsor and decorate. Following the tree lighting ceremony on November 29th , trees will remain lighted through the month of December in the evenings.

The Main Street Building will be open again on Saturday, December 6th during Christmas in Thurmont for the public to view the trees. For more information on the festival contact Vicki Grinder at VGrinder@thurmontstaff.com

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