2008 Holiday Tree Festival

With over 130 trees, 87,000 strands of light and a quarter of a million expected visitors, Akron Children’s Hospital’s 27th Annual Holiday Tree Festival creates big holiday memories. And it’s free.

By: Bill Yurgen
Date: 11/19/2008
I’m sure many of you have fond memories of getting bundled up and going downtown with your parents to look at the Christmas wonderland created every holiday season in the windows of the O’Neil’s and Polsky’s department stores. Those first weeks of winter were awfully gloomy, and seeing all of the glitter and glitz in those windows was a welcome break. To a child with a little imagination, you found yourself right in Santa’s workshop. Of course, doing something special with Mom or Dad was really nice, too.

It was a tradition carried out in towns big and small across the country—immortalized in Jean Sheperd’s 1983 classic movie “A Christmas Story.”

When suburban shopping malls brought the downfall of downtown shopping in Akron, an unexpected group stepped forward to offer children and their parents an even larger dose of holiday glamour. Enter the Volunteers of Akron Children’s Hospital. Always there to help kids, the group recognized the empty spot in the hearts of many of the area’s young (and young at heart) created by the demise of our beloved downtown holiday window decorations.

So began the first Holiday Tree Festival held at Quaker Square in 1982.

This year the festival will celebrate its 27th year at the John S. Knight Center at 77 Mill Street in downtown Akron, with a crowd of visitors estimated to reach over a quarter of a million. Approximately 130 beautiful, custom-designed and themed trees with more than 87,000 strands—yes, that’s strands—of lights illuminating the festivities.

The Volunteers of Akron Children’s Hospital and Heather Jalbert, chair of the 2008 Holiday Tree Festival invite all of us to enjoy this free event as their gift to the community.

Heather relies upon the support of numerous committees, filled with volunteers whose work is something akin to the elves in Santa’s workshop. “Volunteers take on a wide variety of functions, such as helping with the formal kickoff dinner and Breakfast with Santa events and selling trees and raffle tickets during the Tree Festival,” Heather explains. “Even delivering the purchased trees after the event is a carefully orchestrated process, with people delicately wrapping the trees in bubble wrap and others working as “tree fluffers” to make sure that the tree looks just as good in its new home as it did in the Knight Center.”

“Last year,” Heather continues, “the event raised $221,000 to benefit the hospital. Over the years we have raised nearly $3.5 million.

Money is raised through An Evening of Enchantment, a formal preview party before the event is open to the public, a special silent auction and raffle and the sale of the decorated trees, wreaths and holiday decor on display. Proceeds from the event benefit programs, medical research and education at Akron Children’s Hospital and the patients and their families who come through the hospital’s doors.

To give you an idea of the reach of this Akron tradition, the trees have been delivered to Florida, Texas, California and even Spain.

The Holiday Tree Festival has grown over the years. Each year the trees and other decorations have become more and more elaborate, making the festival one of the most spectacular holiday displays to be seen anywhere in the Midwest. And because the event is held inside, in the comfort of the John S. Knight Center, you don’t have to dress up your children like Ralphie’s little brother in “A Christmas Story.” They can actually put their arms down and enjoy the show.

I think that just maybe, this year, today’s kids will have a better memory than the one we have of standing in the freezing cold on Main Street peering into those department store windows.

The Akron Children’s Hospital Holiday Tree Festival will be held at the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill Street November 22nd - 30th. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thanksgiving Day 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

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