The Festival of Trees Prescott kicks off the holiday season in Arizona’s Christmas City November 16–19
By Hilary Dartt
The annual Festival of Trees Prescott is a forest wonderland of beautifully decorated holiday trees and wreaths, which are up for auction … and it’s for a great cause.
This community event, which takes place this year from November 16–19 at the Sam Hill Warehouse in Prescott, benefits Prescott Area Shelter Services (PASS).
“It’s fun, festive, and magical,” said Tahna Falk, owner of StarStruck Event Planning and producer of the Festival. “And it’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit.”
The weekend kicks off Wednesday, November 16 from 6–9 p.m. with the Jingle Mingle, a fun and classy cocktail party with a spread of food prepared by Chef Alex Rivera of Triple Creek Kitchen where guests get first dibs on the trees and wreaths. Then, the Festival opens to the public 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, November 17–19. Tickets are available at festivaloftrees-prescott.com.
The fun includes live entertainment, daily raffles, craft ornament making, a letter-to-Santa station, Santa, a holiday selfie stop, live music, and visits from popular Disney characters.
The event is a contest as well as a fundraiser: throughout the event, visitors can cast their votes for People’s Choice and Kids’ Choice awards, and see who the judges award Best of Show, Best Theme, and Most Traditional.
This is the fifth year for the Festival of Trees Prescott. StarStruck Event Planning took over the event in 2021, adding a “buy now” option to the auction items and elevating the concept of the overall event. In 2021, half of the trees sold during Jingle Mingle, more than 2,500 people attended the event, and the Festival raised $13,000 in benefit of PASS.
PASS provides temporary housing, resources, individual case management, and a pathway to permanent housing to women, children, and women veterans in our community. The organization has an 88% transition rate; that is, 88% of its clients transition to permanent housing.
“PASS is an amazing local organization that is making a big impact in our community,” Tahna said.
Tahna explained that the Festival will benefit a different nonprofit each year. “We’re looking to support smaller nonprofits that may not already have a well-known fundraising event,” she said, “so we can help increase community awareness of these amazing organizations doing good in the community.”
Local nonprofit organizations can find application instructions on the Festival’s website if they would like to apply to be a recipient in the future.
Businesses can participate by sponsoring the event or by purchasing a tree or wreath to decorate. They can get help from a designer or decorate their own tree or wreath. This year, the Festival will have 35 trees and 24 wreaths to choose from. Learn more here: https://festivaloftrees-prescott.com/participate/.
Findlay Subaru Prescott is the Festival’s Gold Star sponsor. Hilton Garden Inn Prescott Downtown and ProVision are the Festival’s Silver Bell Sponsors. The Festival’s Tinsel Sponsors include Down Home Vintage Prescott, Founding Fathers Collective, Jodi Gilray Pediatric Therapy, and Waste Management. One Hundred Chairs and Antiquities Storehouse are providing design and décor for the photos stop and Santa station.
For more information visit https://festivaloftrees-prescott.com.