SUGAR LAND—The holiday season is a magical time, and even more so at HMNS Sugar Land with one of Fort Bend’s most anticipated holiday traditions—Jingle Tree. The special event features a showcase of beautifully decorated trees that are up for bid in a week long, online silent auction sponsored and decorated by Fort Bend designers, museum supporters, local celebrities and artistic visionaries. The festive events take place from November 15 – Dec. 7. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is the presenting sponsor.
“Jingle Tree is a festive way to support HMNS Sugar Land’s mission of science education while helping provide science enrichment to local underserved populations,” said Adrienne Barker, Director and Chief Development Ffficer of HMNS at Sugar Land and the George Observatory. “Whether through a classroom experience during a field trip, a Science on a Sphere presentation with dedicated volunteers, or a hands-on demo featuring fossils, minerals or microscopes, area visitors learn that Science is intriguing and FUN.
This year’s schedule of events includes:
- Friday, Nov. 15, 9:30 am – Kick-off Tree Lighting – honoring Allen and Claire Bogard; Tim & Patti Kaminski. Join hosts Susie and Doug Goff for this VIP media event to see the trees up close as they “come to light” in our first Jingle Tree event. The auction begins. Included with regular admission.
- Tuesday, Nov. 19, 9:30 am—1 pm – Holiday How-To Workshop. Guests spend the morning visiting demonstration sessions to see new holiday trends or learn how to create the magic themselves. Light bites, mimosas and bidding on trees rounds out the fun.
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 5:30—8:30 pm – Last Bid Cocktail Party & Auction Close. The auction week wraps up at a relaxed cocktail event that includes tributes to our honorees, on-line tree bidding and a fabulous “bid-off” bid board. Don’t miss the count-down to the auction closing bell.
- Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 am—1 pm – Cookies with Santa. Join Mayor Joe Zimmerman and family as they open Santa Land! Enjoy holiday crafts, the tradition of cookies and milk and a take away photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus, or bring your own camera to snap some candids. Be sure to stop at the reindeer station, too, for a fun holiday selfie. $5 for members; $5 for non-members plus purchase of $5 exhibit halls ticket.
The Jingle Tree Event Chair is Elizabeth Butler. The Planning Committees includes: Betty Baitland, Jana Baumann, Jennifer Bombach, Deanna Clapsaddle, Dorine Craig, Farrah Gandhi, Susie Goff, Star Hand, Jaime Harris, Pat Hebert, Amanda Junker, Kelsea Lake, Judy Maddison, Cee Cee Parker, Kelly Reynolds, Sharon Saunders, Wanda Sdao, Melanie Slagle, Laura Thompson, Ashley Van Hoozer and Linda Webb.
For tickets or more information on Jingle Tree festivities, visit www.hmns.org/sugarland or call (281) 313-2277.
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The Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land—On Oct. 3, 2009, a historic prison building in the residential community area of Telfair opened to the public, transformed – as the new Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land. This satellite facility of HMNS includes five permanent galleries reflecting the most popular exhibit areas of the downtown Museum location. In addition to permanent exhibitions, the 43,000 square foot building and the surrounding 5.5 acres of land that house the museum present a variety of compelling traveling exhibitions. Located at 13019 University Blvd. (at the corner of University and New Territory Blvds.), a visit to HMNS at Sugar Land is always an adventure.