photo credit: Pricila Flores
A People 4 Parks volunteer helps on delivery day for Windsor's 16th annual Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grov

While many in Sonoma County were prepping for Thanksgiving, one local nonprofit was already readying for the next holiday: unloading a few hundred Christmas trees onto Windsor's town green.

It was June when the Windsor Parks and Recreation Foundation, also known as People 4 Parks Windsor, began planning its 16th annual Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove.

Now, just days away from a tree lighting ceremony, it is full steam ahead.

Tina Castelli is with People 4 Parks. The group specializes in small projects around Windsor, like putting up nesting boxes for owls in the parks and outfitting tennis courts for pickleball.

The town green installation spotlights 250 Christmas trees decorated by the Windsor community.

Castelli says the event draws a lot of volunteers.

“A couple of older gals…who often show up to help but they are not able to physically…are like ‘give us a job, give us a job’. So, they just finished laminating 220 signs and that was pretty cool,” Castelli said.

As an annual fundraiser, local businesses can pay for sponsorship and get a free tree they can either decorate themselves or allow others to. 

People 4 Parks says it sold out of the sponsored trees by the first weekend of October. And a few years back they had to start limiting who may purchase a tree due to the popularity of the event. Castelli says it’s now either families, businesses with a storefront or schools in Windsor.

“It was hard, but we had to do it and it’s great because the Windsor people are able to give this gift to anyone who comes and visits,” Castelli said.

Sponsored trees were sold out before assistant troop leader Andrea Foppe could get one for her family, so the Windsor Rocks Girl Scout Troop 10469 is sharing their tree with Foppe and her son, who has  common variable immunodeficiency. 

“Our tree this year will have different ribbons for the different neuro-uniqueness within our troop,” Foppe said. “We are going to have paragraphs about diagnosis as well as paragraphs from parents about their year with their troop member.”

Windsor Rocks troop leader and nurse Andrea Nofi says the troop pledges to being an inclusive space for all.

“Because of the way we shape this troop, these ladies are going above and beyond maybe some of their limitations,” through scouting activities, Nofi said.

Nofi and Foppe say the troop hopes to spread awareness with their decorated tree.

Meanwhile, the trees are now waiting on the town green, but they’re not ready quite yet. Once all the tree prep is done, says Castelli, groups will decorate until December 4.

“I love the decorating days because i love to see the grandpas sitting repairing the ornaments and the little kids grabbing them immediately and putting them on the tree. You know there’s multi generations…this is their chance to come out and decorate their family tree,” Castelli said.

Despite the recent rainstorm and flooding, Castelli says the grove event is fully prepared for rain.

“It is all set for that,” Castelli said. “You know we get torrential storms and everybody knows not to make their ornaments out of anything perishable. Everybody uses led and everybody tapes their connections off.”

On December 5, the Windsor town green will be lit up with holiday lights. Besides the tree lighting, there will be fake snow in the air, classrooms of kids will perform carols and kids can write letters to Santa.

The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove will be up and on public display until the end of December.