SOS opens house with Festival of Trees

The fourth annual Share Our Selves Festival of Trees open house will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, 3050 Bristol St.

No reservations are required for the free evening, which includes a handbell choir from St. John the Baptist church, visits with Santa, children’s activities, and a reading by Steve Breen, author of “The Secret of Santa’s Island.”

The Festival of Trees is known for its many holiday trees, decorated by a team of volunteer designers and trimmers. Each tree has a different theme, and is available for silent-auction bidding.

The silent auction closes Thursday during the Family Celebration Night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Adult admission is $75, and children are $25. Reservations are required; the evening includes a performance by Mark Wood Entertainment, a dinner buffet, children’s buffet, holiday crafts and ornaments, cookie decorating, the silent-auction results, and photos with Santa. Applications to adopt a family will be available. All proceeds will benefit the organization’s Family Center, which provides health education and in-home support services for pregnant women and families with children up to 5 years old. For more information, contact Special Events Coordinator Ashley Carlton at (949) 515-5400, ext. 34, or [email protected].

— Candice Baker