Festival of Trees

Beth Cheirett, Chair of The Friends of the Soda Springs Library’s annual Festival of Trees fundraiser, is hoping that this year’s event is the “merriest” and “brightest” yet. Over 40 fully decorated trees/wreaths have been committed for the event set for Friday, December 6th from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm at the library, which will be decked out in an amazing display of color and light for the night.

“We couldn’t be happier about the support we’ve been receiving from the community,” said Library Director Hope Hansen. “We are so grateful for the outpouring of support.”  Hansen took over the position following the recent retirement of longtime director Cindy Erickson, making this the first Festival of her tenure.  By all reports, things are shaping up to be even better than ever. 

The Festival of Trees is an annual event in which local sponsors - both businesses and individuals - donate their time, talent and resources to create fully decorated trees or wreaths. Entries are put on display at the library for patrons to view during the week of December 2nd. All of the items items will be sold in a silent auction the evening of December 6th. 

To date, more than 40 entries have been received for the event, which is an all-time high.  Hansen says the increase in entries is largely due to some changes - in both the format of the festival and in the way sponsorship options and donations were set up. 

Among the changes was the implementation of a Title Sponsor. A+ Contractors and Cozy B Quilts stepped up to the plate when asked for a sizable donation from festival organizers. 

“We can’t thank Cody and Melissa Thompson (owners) enough for their support of the festival,” Hansen said, “Their donation has laid the foundation for a wonderful event and has been instrumental in taking the festival to new heights.”  A+ and Cozy B are extremely active in the community, and their names find a comfortable spot as the marquee sponsoring businesses of the event.

Another innovation is that the silent auction will be done through an online platform for the first time. It will allow buyers to place bids from their phone, even if they can’t attend the festival in-person. Additional details about the bidding platform will be released later in the month. Hansen stressed that librarians will be available that evening to assist patrons with online bids if needed, as the process may not be familiar to everyone who is interested in bidding on one of the amazing trees. 

The festival funds will be used for critical upgrades to the facility’s infrastructure, which serves thousands of people throughout the community during the year, and as such is always in need of repair and updating.  Director Hansen said the building is in need of electrical work, for one thing. The main section of the library has a very limited number of power sources feeding the patron computers/devices, printers, employee computers, and all other equipment.

“We have a system of power strips and extension cords to make it work, but it is definitely something that needs to be upgraded for both safety and convenience,” Hansen said.

She added that patrons who bring in laptops or need a charging station are often limited on where they can find an available power source at the library. 

“An upgraded system will provide many solutions for both the patrons and library staff. We are very optimistic that the improvements will become a reality in 2025.”  The fact that greater patron capacity for services is needed is a testament to the popularity and growth of the library itself.

The festival is presented by the Friends of the Soda Springs Library, a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds to benefit the Soda Springs Public Library. Hansen says the Friends are an instrumental part of ongoing improvements. 

All community members are invited to attend the festival, even if they’re not in the market for a new tree or wreath. There will be a raffle, light refreshments and of course - Santa will be visiting the children. 

“There’s something for everyone at the festival. We’d love to have as many people as possible join us in the festivities,” Hansen said.

Visit the Friends of the Library’s Facebook page or go to https://www.sodaspringspubliclibrary.org/ for additional information about the 2024 Festival of Trees. 

The Idaho Enterprise is proud to be one of the many sponsors of the Library, and the Festival of Trees throughout the community.  Make sure to support one of the central pillars of the community through this outstanding event.