Memorial’s Festival of Trees Virtual This Holiday Season
To ensure the public’s health and safety, Memorial’s Festival of Trees is going virtual. This year’s festival will be held Nov. 21-29. The community will be able to view more than 100 decorated trees and wreaths online at no cost, with the usual $5 admission fee to the Orr Building, where past festivals have been held, waived.
And this season’s previously announced theme, “Bling in the Season,” has been changed to “A Season of Hope.” The theme, “Bling in the Season,” will be reserved for the 2021 Memorial’s Festival of Trees.
“First and foremost, Memorial Health System’s highest priority has always been the health and safety of those patients who enter our facilities. That applies equally to Memorial’s Festival of Trees,” said Melissa Hansen Schmadeke, executive director of the Memorial Medical Center Foundation. “Anyone will be able to view online the amazing work our decorators have done transforming our trees and wreaths to reflect our theme of “A Season of Hope.” We revised the theme to encourage everyone that together we will conquer COVID-19 and to not lose hope.”
People will be able to vote for their favorite trees and wreaths in different categories, including kid-friendly, traditional, best use of the theme and creative. The public can vote by visiting Memorial’s Festival of Trees’ Facebook page through a photo album of trees and wreaths. There’s no cost to vote.
Santa will be available on his cell phone and kids can talk to him through the window at his Springfield office at 3 W. Old State Capitol Plaza during Downtown Springfield Inc.’s Holiday Walks. Santa will be in the office from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays starting November 28.
The online store features apparel with both the Festival of Trees and A Season of Hope themes. A new item available on the website will be a free downloadable coloring book featuring Flat Santa. People are encouraged to print off and color Flat Santa, photograph him around town and post them to the Festival of Trees’ Facebook page.
The Festival of Trees website will also feature craft, baking and decorating tutorials. There are two opportunities to win the delicious gingerbread cookies typically sold at Festival of Trees – Little Elves at Home and Flat Santa. Both events are available on the Festival of Trees Facebook page. Popular attractions, including the Gingerbread Village, Little Elves’ Workshop, Candy Cane Express Train, North Pole Toy Shop, Holiday Kitchen, photos with Santa and the Sockefeller Skating Rink, will be put on hold this season.
Last year, more than 32,000 people visited the 30th annual Memorial’s Festival of Trees, raising $401,304 to fund health-related projects and programs at Memorial Health System and in the Springfield community.
During its 30 years, Memorial’s Festival of Trees has raised more than $5.5 million for health-related projects and programs for Memorial Health System and the Springfield community. PNC is the event’s principal sponsor.
For more information about Memorial’s Festival of Trees, contact the Memorial Medical Center Foundation at 217-788-4700 or visit MemorialsFestivalOfTrees.com.