‘How lovely are your branches’

Grace Garver, 4, of Washougal admires her favorite tree — Baby Girl’s First Christmas Tree — Sunday at the Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees at Vancouver Convention Center. (Photos by STEVEN LANE/The Columbian)

Delainey Hall, 10, center, shows the spirit of the season while performing Christmas carols with the Felida Elementary School choir on Sunday at the Festival of Trees.

There were so many fantastic sights at the Festival of Trees — from the classy to the gaudy — that one could get confused on what to truly study.

But that was no problem for 4-year-old Grace Garver of Washougal.

She announced the most glorious sight was Baby Girl’s First Christmas Tree, a tabletop model.

Why?

“Because pink is my favorite color,” she said in a confident voice.

And what ornaments did she fancy?

“The bottle, the stroller, the lollipop, and the old picture of the baby, and I like the rattle.”

But her mom, Justine Garver, toting 7-month-old Jack, said her favorite was, “The one with all the food on it back there. I just thought it was nicely put together.”

That would be “Delivering Christmas,” the tree of the nonprofit Loaves & Fishes Centers and the Meals on Wheels People. The tree was sponsored by Wells Fargo. Its ornaments included framed portraits, fruit, gingerbread men and peppers.

The Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees has become a Thanksgiving weekend tradition. With some 60 displays, it’s a big show at the Vancouver Convention Center.

Pay an extra $2 for 3-D glasses and the tour around the ballroom becomes a twinkling trip.

And the event has a warm feeling, partly because the Felida Elementary School choir, led by Hillary Miller, was singing up a storm while dads manned video cameras. At 2 p.m. Sunday, the carolers were belting out “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Half an hour, later they were still going strong with “Frosty the Snowman.”

“It’s about the experience,” Temple Lentz said of the festival. She is the executive director of the festival, and a Rotary employee, and said the goal is to have a great community event while raising money for good causes.

And raise money it does. The Rotary makes an estimated $150,000 after all bills are paid. About $80,000 each year goes for college scholarships and the Rotary also gives about $120,000 in grants to nonprofit groups, Lentz said. She said 6,000 visitors were expected this year.

For $1, guests could vote for their favorite tree with a cash prize at stake. The winner will be announced later, Lentz said Sunday night.

Judia Jackson of Vancouver had a favorite tree. Well, actually, more than one: “The crane tree and the Friends of the Carpenter tree and the Santa tree,” she said, enthusiastically.

The Caring Ambassadors’ crane tree was decorated with origami cranes. The Friends of the Carpenter tree had wooden ornaments — including fish, manger scenes, crosses and doves. The Santa tree had a giant bright red version of Old Saint Nick over a barely visible tree.

The gaudy?

That would be “Tool Time (Dad’s Dream Tree)” sponsored by Miller Nash LLP. It was designed by Laurie Cantonwine of LC Sewing, who designed several of the trees. The LED lights were in untraditional hues — bold, though. “It’s a tree that wouldn’t go with most decors,” Lentz said, laughing.

Flanked by a table saw and ladder — hey, there was caution tape, too — ornaments included levels, flashlights, saw blades, wrenches and drill bits. Were Al of the “Home Improvement” TV show there, he might have uttered, “I don’t think so, Tim.”

And there were sentimental touches. More than one tree had portraits of children, including the Children’s Home Society. Its theme was “Turning Hope into reality for over 100 years,” and its sponsor was IQ Credit Union.

And self-portaits by children of Fruit Valley Elementary School included colors on molded tin. That tree was a production of the nonprofit Affordable Community Environments, in partnership with the school.

“The children worked with their art teacher,” Lentz said.

Seven-year-old Hanna Moore of Felida said her favorite tree was “The Polar Express,” the Clark County Family YMCA tree.

“I think it’s because there’s a train in this tree,” Hanna said. And it appeared to be headed to the North Pole.