The annual Festival of Trees exhibit and Toys for Tots fundraiser will be held at the Marketplace at Steamtown in the former Abercrombie & Fitch space. The exhibit will open with a reception and fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 9, beginning at 5:30 pm. The trees will be on display through Jan. 9.

The Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department is seeking non-profit organizations, businesses, churches and schools to participate in the event by sponsoring and decorating a tree.  Participants must supply their own artificial tree. All funds raised will go directly to Toys for Tots.

In an attempt to celebrate Lackawanna County’s industrial history, the theme for this year is Steamtown Goes Steampunk! Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction or fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial, steam-powered machinery which has launched a whole visual style and philosophy. It blends the cutting edge with the past by juxtaposing modern technology with a Victorian aesthetic. Steampunk has roots in the Victorian era and the fantastic works of authors such as Jules Verne, who wrote Around the World in Eighty Days, The Steam House, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; and H.G. Wells, author of The Invisible Man and The Time Machine.

The cost to sponsor a tree is $50 for non-profits, schools and small businesses (50 or under employees) and $100 for corporations (over 50 employees).

To register a tree, send checks or money orders, made payable to Toys for Tots, along with contact information to Gerard Hetman, Festival of Trees, Lackawanna County Community Relations Department, 200 Adams Avenue, Sixth Floor, Scranton, PA 18503.  To request a formal application, call The Arts and Culture Department at 570.963.6590, ext. Depending on space availability, the registration deadline is slated to close on Dec. 8.  All trees must be set-up by Dec. 9.