ISU’s fourth Festival of Trees spreading holiday spirit
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POCATELLO – With the holiday season beginning, a beloved community event will take place this weekend and raise funds for a variety of charitable causes.
This will be the fourth year that the Idaho State College of Business will hold the Festival of Trees.
Seventy-five trees will be on display, as of Monday, but more may be donated by the time it begins. People who attend the festival will be able to view these trees, and participate in a silent auction to try and take their favorite one home.
There will also be Christmas carols performed by an ensemble of tuba players, visits from Santa Claus and more. The festival, held at the Stephens Performing Arts Center, opens to the public on Thursday, and will go until Saturday.
“It’s a really festive event, and it’s a great beginning to the holiday season,” said Suzette Porter, College of Business Management assistant.
Porter says silent auctions, while not always fun to watch, sometimes have “major bidding wars” for popular trees.
“Last year, we had two people bid on the same tree, and we had to get another sheet of paper because they just wanted that particular tree, and it was very fun to watch,” Porter said.
One of the biggest performances of the festival will be “TUBACHRISTMAS.” It’s an ensemble of tuba and euphonium players, and will be made up of musicians from the community and surrounding areas.
Musicians who’d like to perform at the event have until Friday at 4 p.m. to do register. Then at 5 p.m., the musicians will rehearse before their performance at 7:30 p.m.
“They dress up (for the performance). They all dress in funny hats and sweaters and they get up on stage,” Porter said, later adding, “It’s just amazing.”
All proceeds go towards multiple organizations. The organizers selected beneficiaries that meet a variety of needs. They include:
- All About the Animals Coalition
- Friends of the Edson Fichter Nature Area
- Idaho State University student scholarships
- Make-A-Wish Idaho
- Pocatello Free Clinic
- School District 25’s Education Foundation
- Walk to End Alzheimer’s
“We like to spread the (holiday) spirit, because there’s a lot of need everywhere,” Porter said.
People who buy tickets get access to Music in the Mezzanine, Stories Under the Christmas Tree, Photos with Santa, Gingerbread Lane, Rudolph’s Road Trip, Santa’s Workshop and Aisle of the Nativities.
There will also be events that people can attend for an additional charge. On Friday, there will be “Children’s Royal Tea Party” at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the rotunda. “Breakfast with Santa” will take place on Saturday at 9 a.m. in the same place.
To buy tickets or learn more, click here.