At the 2011 Senior Center Holiday Festival of the Arts, from left Lisa Heisinger, Antoinette Botsford and Theresa Boucher

…as naturally as day follows night, to paraphrase Shakespeare.

This Saturday, Nov. 24, huge snowflakes will once again adorn the halls, where local musicians will send out joyous melodies. A Bake Sale with baked goods and pannini sandwiches will once again occupy the main lobby, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their first stop of the season at the Holiday Festival of the Arts.

A  fragrant fund-raiser bear will appear for the first time at the Holiday Festival of the Arts — the Orcas Lavender Bear, designed by Maggie Kaplan and Joyce Shaw to grace the latter’s handicrafts table.  He, and 60 of his friends, will be gifts to anyone who donates $5 or more to the Orcas Food Bank.  He is a small flannel bear, stuffed with lavender by Jan Koltun-Titus, and he is  sure to please grandchildren of all ages. All monies that the Orcas Lavendar Bear and friends raise will go directly to the Orcas Food Bank.

In addition to familiar and new vendors, there will be great silent auction items, especially a three-night stay at a cabin on the beach at Long Beach where you can bring your horses.

Admission is $1, or a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank.  The festival, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., benefits the Senior Center. The Holiday Festival of the Arts  is sponsored by the Senior Center Advisory Committee.