The Albert Lea Art Center will kick off its annual Festival of Trees this weekend with three open houses.

The first open house will be a wine and cheese reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday. Neil and Barb Lang will provide music.

On Saturday, there will be an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. Both these open houses will feature cider and cookies.

The Storrer Gallery will be filled with trees decorated by local organizations, businesses and individuals. Some trees are simply festive. Others, like the Shades of Jade Regional Garden Club, follow a theme — in this case, gardening.

Festival of Trees chairwoman Donna Widenhoefer said there will be about 35 trees decorated throughout the Art Center.

The Herfindahl Gallery will showcase more than 50 wreaths designed by local artists that will be for sale during the open houses and during the festival.

Art Center member Marty Shepard, who is heading up the wreath project, said Art Center members were invited to make or donate a wreath for the fundraiser.

“They’re very reasonably priced,” Shepard said, adding most run about $20.

Some of the wreaths are obviously Christmas-themed, but others cane be used year-round, Shepard said. Some are made with artificial greens and others with grapevines. People will find everything from angels to chickens to cowboy boots adorning the wreaths.

The Art Center has also had a fresh wreath fundraiser going on. A limited number of these wreaths, which are made with three types of locally gathered greens and all-weather ribbons, are still available for $22.95.

The Cruikshank Gallery will have a nostalgic remembrance of Christmases past. The gallery is being decorated to resemble a turn-of-the-century parlor at Christmas.

The Festival of Trees runs through Dec. 31. Gallery hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome and help make the festival possible.