The Council of 101's Festival of Trees opened its 40th edition at the Orlando Museum of Art in Loch Haven Park on Saturday, November 14, and it runs daily through Sunday, November 22. This year's theme is Forty Seasons of Joy, a nod to the nearly four decades the volunteer-run show has opened the holiday season in Orlando, Orange County, Florida.

The museum closed its galleries from November 9 to 13 so the council's volunteers could install the show. What fills the building now is more than 50 trees decorated by local designers, plus wreaths, gingerbread creations, holiday vignettes and tabletop displays, a Holiday Boutique, a stretch called Santa Claus Lane and a Festival Café.

Hours and tickets

General admission runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the festival. Tickets are $23 for adults and $15 for children ages 3 to 12, seniors 60 and older, active-duty military and first responders with a valid ID. The Festival Café serves seasonal food from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. General admission and special-event tickets are sold through Eventbrite, linked from the museum's Festival of Trees page, and the council's office answers questions at 407-896-4231, extension 254.

On weekends, Santa Claus is at the museum for photos from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live entertainment is scheduled daily.

The special events, day by day

The festival's calendar adds ticketed events on top of general admission. Breakfast with Santa runs from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, Sunday, November 15, and Saturday, November 21, with a hot breakfast, face painting, crafts and balloon artists.

New this year are a set of holiday workshops. On Saturday, November 14, from 3 to 5 p.m., Winter Park interior designer Lindsay Matteoni of MSTR Interior Design Studio talks about decorating the White House at Christmas. On Sunday, November 15, makeup artist Leslie Christin of Cara Studios gives a holiday makeup demonstration from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., followed by a chef-led appetizer demonstration and tasting from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, November 21, a local designer teaches bow making for wreaths and trees from 3 to 5 p.m.

The evening events start with an Ugly Sweater Party on Saturday, November 14, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., with live music, a cash bar and a costume contest. Festival After 5, on Thursday, November 19, keeps the galleries open from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. with holiday cookie stops along the route. The Reindeer Romp children's party, on Friday, November 20, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., brings story time with Mrs. Claus, a sing-along and reindeer stilt walkers. The Sip and Sleigh Cocktail Party closes the run on Saturday, November 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., with holiday jazz.

Two days carry discounts. Wednesday, November 18, is Seniors Day, with reduced tickets for guests 60 and older and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, November 22, is Heroes Day, when admission is $15 for active-duty and retired military, first responders and teachers with a valid ID.

Where the money goes

The festival is the main fundraiser of the Council of 101, a group founded in 1965 to support the visual arts in Central Florida. Its members, nearly 300 women, run the festival and the spring Art in Bloom show, and the council says it has given the Orlando Museum of Art more than $14 million since its founding. The trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses on display are for sale, and the festival also holds a silent auction and a raffle of the decorated tablescapes, with the proceeds going to the museum.

Getting there

The Orlando Museum of Art is at 2416 N. Mills Ave. in Loch Haven Park, just north of downtown Orlando. Outside the festival, the museum keeps regular hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on weekends, and it is closed Mondays and holidays. The festival's last day is Sunday, November 22, and the museum's main line is 407-896-4231.

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