This December, Fincastle will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland by the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce for its inaugural The Bank of Fincastle Tinsel Trail.
The launch date of the trail will be December 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. when the Botetourt County Historical Society and Museum will hold its annual Holiday Open House. Both events are free and open to the public. Homemade refreshments and light fare will be offered throughout the course of the evening.
The trail will consist of a self-guided walking tour along a Christmas tree lined path through the town. The eight-foot Fraser fir trees, which will be decorated by local businesses and organizations, will be on display for the duration of the month.
“We are excited for this new event that will showcase Botetourt businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations while celebrating the season and drawing visitors to Botetourt’s beautiful and historic county seat,” Trevor Winter-Pierce, president of the chamber, says.
President and CEO of The Bank of Fincastle, the naming sponsor for the event, Scott Steele echoes Winter-Pierce’s sentiment. “The Bank of Fincastle invites you to visit our first annual Tinsel Trail featuring a festive display of live Christmas trees in the historic town of Fincastle,” he says. “We are pleased to team with the Botetourt Chamber of Commerce and organizations sponsoring and decorating the trees, to spread the magic of the holidays throughout our community in a safe and cheerful way.”
Lisa Otey, a member services representative at the chamber and one of the event organizers came up with the idea for the trail while visiting her son at college last year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. While in the city, she noticed a row of hundreds of brightly lit trees running along the Black Warrior River.
“There were families and children there. All the trees were so different from each other that it was really striking to see the creativity and the passion that went into each tree. Each one was as lovely as the next, but they all seemed to reflect the personality of the business or organization that had decorated it,” Otey says. “Some were decorated with stuffed animals, while others were decorated with Dr. Seuss. It was interesting to see the thought behind each tree because they were all so inspiring.”
Roughly nine months later, Otey found herself wracking her brain for ideas about how to generate funds for the chamber due to the fact that it had been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic when she remembered the trail that had captivated her back in Tuscaloosa. She explains she knew it would be a great idea because it’s outdoors and COVID-19 safe.
Once the idea was a go, she reached out to one of the organizers in Tuscaloosa to see what advice could be offered for how to proceed. The woman told Otey that they originally started off with just 20 trees, but now have over 300. From there, Otey set the goal of obtaining 20 tree sponsors. She ended up with 22.
“Our idea is to grow it every year and for it to become a tradition for years to come,” she says. “Maybe it can eventually meander its way out of Fincastle to Daleville and Buchanan.”
Otey stresses that one of the best aspects of the event is that it encourages group participation among the businesses and organizations that are sponsoring the trees in a time when most employees are tiring of solely interacting via Zoom.
Some businesses ended up deciding to sponsor non-profit organizations to decorate their own trees.
“Decorating trees this big will certainly be a challenge, but I know all of our sponsors will come up with something just fabulous and reflective of their missions,” she says.
Otey adds that she hopes people who enjoy the trail will take the time to thank all of the tree sponsors for “spreading holiday cheer” the next time they are in their businesses.
“This is a great way to both celebrate and give back, while recognizing the incredible work these organizations do for our community. I can’t wait to see the decorated trees,” she says.
The December 3 event requires registration, which can be done HERE.
Registration is not required after December 3.
About the Author:
Aila Boyd is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.
