A Classic Christmas: Celebrating 30 Years of The Festival of Trees
Plans are underway to ensure the 30th Annual Festival of Trees event is a tremendous success. The Festival of Trees has been an annual tradition for decades, bringing the community together to support non-profit organizations serving the Elko area. Local businesses and citizens donate decorated trees, wreaths and other holiday-themed décor which are then available for purchase through silent auction. Proceeds from the event are donated to charitable organizations selected by the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority Board of Directors.
“The Festival of Trees is a wonderful annual event showcasing the generosity of the Elko Community,” says Katie Neddenriep, Executive Director of the ECVA. “I can’t think of a better way to get into the Christmas spirit and demonstrate what this season is about. We hope the Festival of Trees will help end 2020 on a positive note, and we are considering all options to ensure we are able to present a safe event given the guidelines and restrictions in place.”
This year’s theme is A Classic Christmas: Celebrating 30 Years of The Festival of Trees. The ECVA has partnered with Greater Giving to facilitate online auction item donation registration and bidding in an effort to make the process more hands-off in the world of Covid-19. Auction item registration will be done online November 9th through 30th. Public viewing of trees and other auction items is scheduled to take place December 2nd through 6th at the Elko Conference Center. To ensure the continued safety and health of the community, State of Nevada directives and requirements for public events at indoor venues will be followed and more information on how the event will take place safely will be communicated online via Facebook, Instagram and www.ExploreElko.com.
The 2019 Festival of Trees auction raised $33,000 which was distributed evenly to the six Charity Partners selected by the ECVA Board of Directors. The Community Foundation of Elko County, Elko Cancer Network, Igloo Recreation Center, Northern Nevada Autism Network, Northern Nevada Youth Soccer Association and Veterans Resource Center at Great Basin College were each awarded $5,500. An equally successful event is anticipated this year.