Beautifully decorated trees and wreaths are center stage at the sixth Annual Festival of Trees, held through noon Dec. 7 at the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center. The lobby and the Great Room sparkle with 77 trees and wreaths, decorated to complement this year’s theme – “A Star Is Born.” Come walk the red carpet for a special holiday selfie.
Energize holiday spirit and enjoy the imagination and handiwork of Franklin County businesses, organizations and individuals who decorate the trees and wreaths of the Festival.
Festival of Trees makes spirits bright, shares Christmas cheer and spreads holiday happiness. Plus, there is an added bonus to Festival of Trees. It helps raise funds for the Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance. Visitors can vote for their favorite tree or wreath and bid in the silent auction to take home a favorite tree or wreath. All proceeds of voting and the auction will benefit the Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance.
Admission is free. Voting is four bids for $1. To view Festival of Trees, outside the regular hours, please contact Franklin County Visitors Bureau at 717-552-2977 or 866-646-8060 to make an appointment. Visit ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com and follow Facebook.com/FCVBen to stay up to date on bids and more. Want a quick peek? Visit a video walk through here.
This year’s event has a few new twists and turns. Amazon HGR5 is holding an employee competition as four teams try to outdo each other in the 2024 Festival of Trees. The winning team will have bragging rights for a year. Grandma’s House, which specializes in collectibles and vintage items, decorated a dress form tree and a lamp post to be reminiscent of characters in Beauty and the Beast—Fifi the maid and Lumiere. Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter decorated an upside-down tree with woodland critters, The King Street Pottery Ministry adorned its tree with clay ornaments; the clay represents mankind and God is the potter. There is even a Grinch tree and Grinch wreath! Some trees and wreaths have value-added items, such as gift certificates, show or event tickets and memberships.
Additional decorators for the 2024 Festival of Trees are: Franklin County Certified Tourism Ambassadors, Friends of Letterkenny, Homeless Matters, Franklin County Fair Royalty, John Buhrman’s Treasure Tree by Kyle, United Cerebral Palsy, South Mountain Partnership, Loretta Jones, Warm Spring Day Spa, Cumberland Valley Christian School, Menno Haven Auxiliary, OSI, Conococheague Institute, Josua Kellerman and McKenna Mellott, Order of Eastern Star, Wilson College Equestrian Center, Chambers & St. Thomas Apothecary, Fox’s Pizza Den, The Foundry, Shippensburg History Center, Tuscarora Wildlife Education Project (TWEP), Martin’s Potato Rolls, Conocodell Golf Course, Girl Scout Troop 80174, Not You Average Networking Group (NYANG), Shoebox Supply Store, Totem Pole Playhouse, Middletown Valley Bank, Strickler Agency, Buttonwood Nature Center, Morgan Beck, Daughters of the American Revolution, Healthy Communities Partnership of Greater Franklin County, YP Jewelers, Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance, Hurley Auctions, Council for the Arts, Penn State Mont Alto, Chambersburg Quilt Guild, Downtown Business Council, Mar-Le-Nie Dance Studio, Park Avenue Pharmacy, Willow and Birch, Franklin County Library System, Boys and Girls Club of Chambersburg and Shippensburg, Salvation Army, Chris Robert’s Grinch Tree, Engraved Memories Plus, F&M Trust, Coalition to Protect Franklin County, Franklin County Dairy Promotion, Dile Family, Franklin County Democratic Committee, Capitol Theatre, Shippensburg Chamber of Commerce, The Pet Store, The Mercy House, Melissa Wagaman, Continental Commandary Unit #56 Knights Templar, Conococheague Audubon Society, the shop, Adamson Dentistry, Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, Council for Wellness, and Downtown Chambersburg Inc.
Returning in 2024 is Sharing the Heart of the Holiday, which will be collecting items needed for a new homeless day center, opening in 2025. The items needed include hand sanitizer, socks, long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, shoes, boots and backpacks.
Along with the festively decorated trees, and wreaths, Festival of Trees offers:
- Holiday train display, courtesy of Cumberland Valley Model Railroad Club
- Old-fashioned Christmas programming in the video vault.
- Coloring contest for children with a first prize of $50 and three honorable mentions of $20.
- Kids holiday crafts.
- Letter writing to Santa, followed by a reply from Santa.
- Chance to Win Small Business Franklin County Goody Basket
- Sale of handmade craft items from the Chambersburg Quilt Guild
- Yummy Cookies
- Visits from “The Grinch”
Festival of Trees is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day and Nov. 29. The Festival is open on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours on Sunday, Dec. 1, are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Candle Night, Dec. 6, Festival of Trees is open until 8 p.m. The 11/30 Visitors Center will be serving special hot chocolate as part of the Annual Cocoa Crawl and have sing-a-longs throughout the evening. Enjoy the sounds and smells of the holiday season and the glistening trees along Main Street.
