River Of Trees Returns To Downtown Augusta Thanksgiving Weekend

A much loved Christmas tradition, which started in Waterville, is now happening all over Central Maine.  We're talking about Christmas Tree raffles.

How Do They Work?

A local business or individual sponsors a Christmas Tree.  They will decorate the tree and pile up presents under the tree.  In most cases, these trees have a theme.  So, if it was a hardware store, you might find tools, duct tape, a generator (yes, we've seen it), and more.  The tree of a local brewery could have gift certificates, six packs, and pint glasses.

Attendees to the event will purchase tickets and then "bid" on the trees they want to win.  At the conclusion of the event, a winner is drawn for each tree.  That person gets all of the gifts under the tree.

In 99% of all cases. the money collected from the purchase of the tickets go to some local non-profit organization.

The River Of Trees

One of the longest running tree raffles is Augusta's River of Trees.

According to the event's website, each of the trees has a value of between $500 and $1,000.  In the past, we have seen trees loaded with toys, tools, snowmobile accessories, beer, and more.

This year's event will support the Augusta Boys & Girls Club Teen Center and the Augusta Downtown Alliance.

As in the past, the event will be held at the new Teen Center on Water Street in Augusta.  It gets kicked off on Black Friday and runs through that Sunday.  November 25th through November 27th.  It will be open from 10 AM to 8 PM on Friday and Saturday.  The event will run from 8 AM to 3 PM on Sunday.

The River of Trees is also looking for volunteers.  You can get more information about volunteering HERE