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 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.
Other events will be offered including free and take-your-own photos
with Santa. The photos will be held during Downtown Springfield
Inc.’s Holiday Walks. Times and dates are still being finalized and
will be announced later. Visitors to the Old Capitol Farmers Market,
3 W. Old State Capitol Plaza, will be able to buy traditional
Festival of Trees potholder kits from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 14
and Nov. 21.
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The online store, which will go live mid-October, will feature 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.
Popular attractions, including the Gingerbread Village, Little Elves’ Workshop,
Candy Cane Express Train, North Pole Toy Shop, Holiday Kitchen 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.
The Memorial’s Festival of Trees Gala, which has been open to the public for the
last several years, will be closed to the public. The gala will continue as a
virtual event open to sponsors only.
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 MemorialsFestivalOf
Trees.com.
[Michael Leathers
Media Relations Consultant
Communications
Memorial Medical Center] |
