Port Huron, MI — It’s only July, but community Christmas events are already feeling the effects of COVID-19. Both the Festival of Trees and the Nutcracker Ballet have been cancelled for this year. The events are staples in the Port Huron area during the Christmas season and the planning for both begins much earlier in the year.
The Festival of Trees is a major fundraiser for the McLaren Port Huron Hospital Foundation and has featured a black-tie preview party and a weekend of community activities.
Sara J. Tait, Director of the McLaren Port Huron Foundation said, “We have had to make some very difficult decisions about proceeding with large-scale events for the remainder of the year.” Tait also said, “We are discussing various ways we might be able to extend family-oriented activities that are still designed to kick-off the holiday season. More information will be shared when details are finalized.”
The Nutcracker Ballet, often held the same weekend as the Festival of Trees, has also been shelved for the year for the same reasons: to protect the cast, crew, and audience from the COVID-19 virus.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
