GRANTS, NM – The Festival of Trees, a local event taking place during the arts and crafts fair, has become a community celebration since its inception around 2012.
The festival began as a unique fundraiser initiated by a group of dedicated 4-H leaders who wanted to provide a festive atmosphere while generating support for a worthy cause. “I think the inspiration came from wanting to create a fun fundraiser that brought people together,” said one of the key figures behind the festival, Chase Elkins the 4H coordinator. “At the time, my office was part of the Grants Recreation building, so we thought it would be perfect to partner with them. Our aim was to bring something new to the community during the Christmas season.”
The festival kicked off with a remarkable first year, showcasing around 70 beautifully decorated trees in what was then known as the Future Foundations Building, coinciding with the Arts and Crafts Fair. This event drew a large crowd, highlighting the need for a new holiday tradition in town.
Since that first year, the Festival of Trees has evolved significantly. Originally taking place throughout the hallway, it now has its own room.
The competition to decorate trees has intensified, attracting more participants who are eager to showcase their creativity. “While we’ve maintained a simpler approach, we’ve aimed to keep things fresh and engaging for everyone involved,” Chase Elkins noted.
The festival serves as a fundraiser for the 4-H Council, which relies on various fundraising efforts to support activities and scholarships for youth in the community. 4-H, the largest youth development program in the United States, offers children aged 5 to 18 the opportunity to join free of charge, encouraging participation in a broad range of activities, from arts and crafts to public speaking and community service.
“Our 4-H program is tied closely to the State University of New Mexico and extends through various extension offices,” explained the organizer. “We aim for a well-rounded approach to youth development, emphasizing skills that go beyond agricultural or animal shows.”
Every year this Festival has creative trees from various companies, with the trees only costing twenty dollars to decorate, then donating them back to the 4-H company.
Each raffle ticket is only a dollar, and after placing it into one of the bags of your favorite tree, you have the chance to win the decorated tree.
The festival is now firmly established as a community tradition. As the organizers prepared for this year’s event, the team remained committed to creating an enjoyable experience that fosters creativity, community spirit, and support for local youth.
The Festival of Trees is always an exciting community event, with chances to win a tree, and knowing your money is going to a good cause.
This year 4,190 raffles tickets were sold, and 61 trees were donated. The tree with the most raffle tickets, becoming the People’s choice, was by Victory Lane’s Tires.
4-H stands for head, heart, hands, and health, as stated in their pledge.
“I Pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my Club, my Community, my Country, and my World.” 4-H Pledge
Amerika Rougemont - CC