Leeds Festival: Festival creates winter wonderland

The only thing missing from the winter wonderland inside Anthony's Banquet Hall at the 14th Annual Festival of the Trees was the snow. And if the temperature outside had been 20 or so degrees cooler, the outer landscape would have matched the inner one. But much to the relief, no doubt, of adults and parents, the weather didn't cooperate, bringing a steady light drizzle instead of the fluffy white stuff. While Christmas was on full display inside the banquet hall kids of all ages will just have to wait a few more months for the actual thing.
But the Fortnightly Club, the 77 year old woman's organization which has held the festival since 1995, hit another homerun this year with 26 gorgeously decorated trees and dozens of designer level wreaths.This year's “People's Choice Award Winner” was “Christmas Is,” sponsored by the Fortnightly Club and decorated by Patti Lasher and Marion Coyne. Other awards handed out included those for most traditional, most elegant, best use of natural materials, most creative and most whimsical.One of the festival's signature crowd favorites is the two day silent auction for wreaths and trees, which will end today. Committee members update a giant white mark up board guarded by a Frosty the Snowman cutout as the bids come in. Minimum starting bids for trees is $75 and it's $25 for wreaths. The Fortnightly Club Committee will announce the grand winners at the end of the festival along with 24 raffle contests for everything from golf packages and ski lift tickets to dinner certificates, wine, oil changes and haircuts.Shoppers had a opportunity to pick up some early stocking stuffers from over 15 local vendors including Miranda's Gifts, Silver Find jewelry and Candyman Chocolates.Entertainment went on nonstop with Classical Cats, Hearts Content Trio, Rock Planet All Stars and others.Music and entertainment will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today along with another appearance by Santa, more silent auction bidding, mouthwatering goodies from the Festival Café and shopping with the festival vendors. Admission for children under 5 is free and the charge is $3.00 for everyone else. The festival is at Anthony's Banquet Hall, Route 23B, Leeds.

Leeds band's festival hope AUDIO, White Comic

Nine months they formed just ago but White Comic could already be playing Leeds Festival by the summer.
The four teenagers from Leeds and Wakefield are taking part in the Martin House Centre Stage competition.They have already been crowned top of the class at St Winifrid's Roman Catholic School, Featherstone, and will now take on the winners of other secondary schools in the area.The idea is to help raise cash for the hospice, and launch the career of the best musical talents in West Yorkshire.The top prize is the chance to play in front of thousands of people at both the Leeds and Reading Festivals – a slot donated by the event's arranger Festival Republic.Bands will also get a chance to bag other prizes such as time in a recording studio.But before that can happen schools must sign up.White Comic bass player Ben McGowan, 17, said: "People have been saying that we could be playing at Leeds Festival in a few years' time, but now we could be there in less than 12 months."When some of the bands were playing in the school hall, people were leaving, but as soon as we came on the place filled up and they were dancing and singing along. That was just amazing."The rest of White Comic are: lead singer and rythmn guitarist Nik Worsley, 15, from Castleford; lead guitarist Nathan Flower, 14, from Cross Gates and drummer Ryan Taylor, 15, from Featherstone.More than 150 schools across West Yorkshire have been invited to take part in the Centre Stage competition.Entries must be returned to Martin House by December 1.Each school is expected to hold its own internal heats, with money raised going to Martin House.The winners from each school will then come together to play in front of an audience of music industry professionals in a Grand Final in July 2010.Centre Stage is open to all Secondary Schools across West Yorkshire, for students aged 11 to 18.