46th annual Festival of Trees in Idaho Falls will be held virtually due to COVID-19
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IDAHO FALLS – Organizers are gearing up for the 46th annual Festival of Trees in Idaho Falls, but things will be a little different this year.
Event board member Misty Ashley tells EastIdahoNews.com the weeklong fundraiser will be held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. More than 30 decorated trees will be on display, along with wreaths and other decorations.
“We’re scaling it back,” Ashley says. “The trees will still be set up like they have in the past, there’s just going to be less of them because it’s a smaller venue.”
The trees will be set up inside the Development Workshop this year, instead of the Shilo Inn Convention Center.
The traditional live performances from local singing groups and the visit from Santa will not be happening.
“We’ll have various views of each side of the tree … along with a virtual walkthrough with Christmas music in the background,” Ashley says. “It will have a cozy Christmas feel to it even though we don’t get to have the entertainment that we would normally have.”
The virtual event is free, but each of the display items are for sale. The sale will be a hybrid affair, with physical selection and purchases conducted by appointment. All the proceeds benefit the Development Workshop.
The Development Workshop is a local nonprofit that provides employment and skill training for people who are disabled. One of the programs this event helps sponsor is Field of Angels, which is a baseball league for disabled kids.
“We hope we’ll be fortunate enough to experience the same sense of giving that people have shown us in the past,” Event President Kathie Hendrix says in a news release.
Festival of Trees is happening Nov. 16-20. The theme for this year’s event is “A Christmas to Remember.” It will kick off with a ribbon-cutting on Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.
Those interested in purchasing items can reach volunteer members of the board through the event Facebook page, or by contacting Ashley at (208) 200-1189. Visit the website or Facebook page for more information.