The Wish Tree Program is part of Spirit of the Season, a community outreach that provides Christmas to our neighbors in need.

To give a gift to a child this Christmas, visit one of the local businesses where wish trees are located, pick out a red bell and follow the instructions posted near the wish tree.

Gifts are requested through letters to Santa written by children from families who have applied to the program.

The letters are read and each child’s wishes are transferred to a bell that is then hung on a wish tree throughout the community.

All high school-aged youngsters will receive a Walmart gift card as listed on their bells allowing each student to select their own gift.

To give a gift to a child at Christmas, please follow these instructions:

• Visit one of the businesses noted below and pick out a bell.

• Write the child’s name and family number as well as your name and telephone number on the “Donor’s List” so that we may contact you if necessary regarding your particular child.

• Purchase a gift and a gift bag and place the gift in the bag. Write what you purchased on the bell and tuck the bell into the gift bag. Gift cards should not be wrapped; place them in an envelope with the youngster’s name and family number written on the outside of the envelope.

• Return the gift or gift card to the location where you selected the bell no later than Thursday, Dec. 9.

Wish trees in Middletown are located at St Joseph Catholic Church, Middletown Florist and Gifts, Tri-Counties Bank and WestAmerica Bank.

The wish trees in Hidden Valley can be found at Century 21 House of Realty and Hidden Valley Lake Realty.

The wish trees on Cobb can be found at Mountain High Coffee and Cobb Cuts beauty salon.

If you have any questions contact Sandy Tucker at 707-987-0263 for Middletown and Hidden Valley or in Cobb contact Christine Bougas at 626-359-9097.

For more information about the program contact Hedy Montoya at 707-987-8139.

The series will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month with the exception of January, when the event will be held on the third Friday.

The per person cost is $15 and reservations are recommended.

Nov. 12 will showcase a mushroom walnut Wellington appetizer made with Mendocino Shitake mushrooms and walnuts from the Dancing Tree People Organic Orchard in Upper Lake paired with Lake County Pinot Noirs.

For more information, or to make a reservation, contact Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.

Sally Carlson was the original organizer of the annual Christmas Festival of Music in Lakeport, Calif. Courtesy photo.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 600 16th St., Lakeport.

Each year choirs, instrumentalists and vocalists from the local community present a free evening of holiday music to get the season started off right.

In addition to the featured performers, the audience will be invited to sing Christmas carols. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

Christmas always seems to come earlier every year – Christmas decorations were seen in stores before Halloween this year.

However, the annual Christmas Festival of Music is giving its performers an extra day to get ready – it will break with tradition and be held on the first Saturday in December. This change was made to avoid a conflict with Kelseyville’s parade and tree lighting on Friday.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Christmas Festival of Music. Sally Carlson is being honored posthumously as the original organizer of this event. Her vision to bring the community together in a celebration of music has been carried on long after her passing.

An interfaith and community gathering, the festival will feature some returning favorites this year. In fact, Merry Lloyd who plays the handbells and performed for years with Bells of the Lake is flying in from Oregon to help celebrate the 25th anniversary.

In addition to the featured performers, the audience will be invited to sing Christmas carols.

Admission is free and refreshments will be provided.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Middletown Fire Station on Highway 175.

Twenty-five local crafters and vendors will have a variety of gift items for sale.

The Fire Sirens will host a food and bake sale all day, as well as a raffle with more than 15 terrific prizes donated by local merchants and businesses.

The tickets will be available that day for six for $5 or $1 each.

All money raised goes to purchase emergency equipment for the South Lake County Fire Protection District.

Bring your children, too. Santa will be visiting from the North Pole.

The group invites the community to come out and support this annual Fire Siren Event and do some holiday shopping.

The meeting will begin at 12:15 p.m. in conference room C on the third floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

Garden Club Member Thelma Dangel helps Ollie with her wreath table decoration. Photo taken by Mary Beth Ingvoldstad.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Each month Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club Chairman Jo Jameson presents a garden therapy program for the clients at the Adult Respite Program at St. John's Lutheran church in Clearlake and also at the First Lutheran Church in Lucerne.

Jameson gathers containers, flowers, greenery and decorations for the clients, with the help of the volunteer workers, to create a flower arrangement for them to take home.

The clients enjoy this activity. And this is one of the ways that the garden club shares with our community.

Garden Club members Jo Douville and Claire Grieve helped gather dried plant materials and pines cones to make small wreaths for a table decoration.

The North Lake Garden Club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month, September through May, at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

Members, guests and all interested are most welcome. President Linda Waterstraat, 707-245-4731, invites interested gardeners to join the group.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

For more information see www.clttgc.org .