TULALIP — It began 30 years ago, a festive family event in Floral Hall at Everett’s Forest Park. The Providence General Foundation’s annual Festival of Trees, which starts Tuesday with an opening-night party, has grown from a fun time with cookies and Christmas trees into a glittering four-day celebration.
This year’s Festival of Trees is being held in the Tulalip Resort Casino’s Orca Ballroom. On Monday, teams of tree designers and volunteers were putting finishing touches on 16 creatively decorated trees and six wreaths. Most trees will be sold to the highest bidders at a live auction, part of Friday night’s gala dinner. After the festival two big trees covered with toys will go to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett’s emergency department and to the hospital’s Children’s Center.
All festival proceeds will support children’s services at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.
“It’s just a really fun thing to do, and it benefits the foundation,” said Marsha Lyski, a tree designer whose candy-themed creation is called “Sweet Celebrations.”
Whether it’s a black-tie evening with a three-course dinner or a free afternoon with cookies and Santa, the festival’s four events offer holiday fun for all kinds of crowds. The events include Tuesday night’s kickoff party, a free community open house Wednesday afternoon, the elegant gala dinner and live auction Friday, and a Teddy Bear Breakfast on Saturday morning.
Lori Kloes, the Providence General Foundation’s chief development officer, said the festival was started in 1986 by the Providence Hospital Foundation. That first event at Forest Park came nearly a decade before the 1994 merger of Everett’s General Hospital Medical Center and Providence Hospital.
“A core group of volunteers helped kick things off,” said Kloes. “As more and more people got involved, different events were added during the week. Once those beautiful trees were decorated, it was nice that more people could see them.”
Since its start, the Festival of Trees has raised about $8 million, Kloes said. Last year’s proceeds supported the Providence Autism Center. In other years, Kloes said, money raised at the festival has benefited Camp Prov for children with developmental challenges, the hospital’s newborn intensive care unit and other children’s services.
At the gala, guests will be asked to support this year’s “fund-a-need” project, which is to build a cover for the playground and outdoor therapy area at the Providence Children’s Center. The playground includes a bridge, a small climbing wall, jungle gym and slide. “Think about a child in physical therapy. They best learn through playing,” Kloes said.
A day before the opening party, picture-perfect trees lit up the ballroom. Some have playful or outdoorsy themes, others are stylish and sophisticated. All are created by designers supported by tree sponsors. Beyond that, the festival wouldn’t be possible without its major sponsors, among them the Tulalip Tribes, The Daily Herald, Sean and Lisa Kelly, Mary Jane Miller, K&H Integrated Print Solutions, Premera Blue Cross, Radia Inc., The Everett Clinic, Providence Medical Group, Rodland Toyota/Scion, Roy Robinson Chevrolet, Subaru &RV Center, and Western Washington Medical Group.
Tree designers have spent months on their creations.
Lisa Votava and Wendy Fagan hand-painted pinecones and used melted crayons and India ink to color clear glass balls for their tree, “Radiant Rainbow.” A tree called “Winter Wonderland,” designed by Linda Jubie, Jan Jubie and Debbie Finch, brings the outside indoors with its acorn ornaments, woodland critters and moose-design lanterns.
Children unlucky enough to visit the Providence emergency room during the holidays will be cheered up by a stuffed animal from “Christmas at the Zoo,” designed by Robin Schemkes and her team, and sponsored by the Botesch, Nash &Hall architectural firm. Schemkes said her design includes more than 600 stuffed animals — tigers, pandas, monkeys, zebras — plus four raccoons she calls “bandits” that kids can find on the tree.
At the gala, event organizers will recognize all the people who have headed the festival over the past three decades, including the first chairman and chairwoman, Dick Morrison and Judy Oberg. “They can’t all attend, but we will acknowledge everyone. It wouldn’t have happened without them,” Kloes said.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.
Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees, a Providence General Foundation fund-raiser, supports children’s services at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. All events are held in the Tulalip Resort Casino’s Orca Ballroom, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip. They include:
Tuesday Dec. 1: Opening Night, 6-9 p.m. Silent auction, dinner buffet, cash bar, live music. $60 per person. Tickets at the door or online.
Wednesday Dec. 2: Community Open House, 1-6 p.m. Free and open to the public. Music performances by local groups; free cocoa, coffee and cookies; photos with Santa.
Friday Dec. 4: Gala Dinner and Live Auction, 6-10 p.m. Cocktail reception and hosted bar, silent wine auction, three-course dinner, live auction. (Black tie optional). $200 per person. Reservation needed.
Saturday Dec. 5: Teddy Bear Breakfast, 9-10:30 a.m. Breakfast, entertainment by Tim Noah, visit and photos with Santa, Teddy Bear store. $30 per person. Reservation needed.
Tickets: provhealth.org/1TgZs2v
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