A Lima holiday tradition officially kicks off at the Allen County Museum

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Everyone was rocking around the Christmas trees today at the Allen County Museum as the 52nd annual Christmas Tree Festival kicked off Wednesday morning.

People of all ages gathered to tour all the unique and creative Christmas trees submitted by community groups and organizations. Local school bands also made the trip to the museum to set the mood with popular Christmas tunes and jingles. Attendees could also visit mini gift shops set up by the Allen County Master Gardeners, who volunteered to help sell thrift-store-type gifts and holiday-themed plants and decorations.

The Christmas Tree Festival is a Lima tradition that reminds people that Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

"I think the kids loved the Christmas trees. They thought the decorations were awesome. My favorite part was seeing all of the different parts of Lima that actually come together. And the different businesses and organizations that you don't really know about, and so I got to learn a lot about Lima today," commented Allie Norton, preschool teacher at Heritage Elementary.

"This is one of the things we most get to do with the community. And we have community partners that work really well with us. Johnny Appleseed's one of our community partners, as well as the Master Gardeners. So it's just a way to get a lot new volunteers and feet in the door, so that's the magic really," commented Hannah Bergstedt, public engagement and learning coordinator for the Allen County Museum.

Attendees can cast their vote on which is the best decorated tree, and the winner receives a prize at the end of the festival.

The Christmas Tree Festival goes today through Sunday, December 8th. The Allen County Museum is located at 620 W Market St, Lima, OH 45801.