Windsor is serious about its holiday tree lighting, with 106 Charlie Brown Christmas trees helping decorate the town green this year.
The trees will be on display throughout the season, part decoration, part second annual fundraiser benefitting local education.
The lights on each will be turned on Thursday evening, along with the city's tall holiday tree, in a celebration from 5-8 p.m. It will be topped off by a period of real snowfall.
As a fundraiser, The Charlie Brown Christmas tree grove is expected to raise about $3,000 for the Windsor Educational Foundation and about $1,000 for the Windsor High School music department, said Karen Alves, a volunteer helping organize the effort.
The money comes from a $50 donation paid to sponsor each tree.
At about noon Tuesday, Colton Wright, 4, of Windsor was at the green with his mother, looking for the tree sponsored by their church.
The boy quickly picked a favorite.
It was the Healdsburg Fire Department tree honoring two Windsor firefighters injured in Healdsburg's downtown post office fire.
But Colton just knew it was decorated with photos of firefighters in action.
"I like all the pictures on it, of people putting out fires and accidents," he said.
To use the "Charlie Brown" name, organizers needed permission from the family of Charles M. Schulz, the late Sonoma County cartoonist who created Charlie Brown and his friends and the world of the Peanuts cartoon.
The Schulz family supports the community event and sponsored a tree, decorated by employees of the family's Redwood Empire Ice Arena.
Lining the sidewalk and a picnic area of the green, each tree has its own style or theme or whimsy, like the bright orange pumpkin decorations as a nod to Linus and his great pumpkin obsession. Most have homemade ornaments and many used photos, including those of school children and animals.
There's no competition involved, just a chance to support the community and have fun, said Alves.
"It gives a sense of community. A whole lot of that is lacking, in the world," said Sally Hudson of Windsor, who stopped by Tuesday to take a photo of a tree. "We do pretty well here."
Starting Thursday, throughout the season, two snow machines set up above the trees will be turned on each night at 5:30 and 7:30 for 15 minutes. The trees will be on display until Jan. 8.
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