{"id":76719,"date":"2025-12-09T07:47:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T07:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/76719\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T07:47:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T07:47:10","slug":"a-tradition-of-giving-festival-of-trees-kicks-off-19th-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/76719\/","title":{"rendered":"A tradition of giving: Festival of Trees kicks off 19th year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Festival of Trees. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

The 19th Annual Festival of Trees is set to once again transform the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC) into a sparkling holiday wonderland, showcasing elaborately decorated trees by local businesses to benefit Goodwill of Southwest Florida and SBDAC. This year also marks the return of the beloved Teddy Bear Drive and the \u201cVery Beary\u201d Christmas tree featured at the Festival of Trees, where community members donated new stuffed animals and toys to bring comfort and cheer to children at Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital and the Southwest Florida Children\u2019s Network.\n<\/p>\n

Each year, the community comes together to donate\u00a0new teddy bears and unwrapped toys, which are lovingly placed on the \u201cVery Beary\u201d Christmas tree at the\u00a0Festival of Trees. After the festival, the tree is delivered to the hospital lobby, where the bears are gifted to children spending their holidays in care.\n<\/p>\n

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In 2019 Festival of Trees had an indoor ice rink. The tree was decorated with bears sliding down the ice. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have done a \u2018Very Beary\u2019 tree for the Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital at Festival of Trees since its inception,\u201d Debra A. Donatto, director of communications and marketing, Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. explained. \u201cWe began adding the Southwest Florida Children\u2019s Network about 5 years ago because we had so many donated toys to share. We also delivered to the Salvation Army for the past three years or so.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Among the forest of decorated displays, this special tree stands out\u2014its branches filled with teddy bears and donated toys underneath that will soon make their way to children at Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital on Dec. 9 to help bring comfort and joy to its young patients during the holidays.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been told by the Golisano staff that the \u2018Very Beary\u2019 tree is their favorite tree of the season, and how excited the children are to see it in the lobby and get a holiday gift,\u201d Donatto adds. \u201cBeing in the hospital away from family is scary for anyone, but especially for a child. If they have to be in the hospital during the holidays, that is even more difficult. Giving them a toy or a bear brings a smile to their face and connects a positive memory with the experience that makes a lasting positive impact.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The teddy bear and toy drive expanded after the untimely death of Janet Wilson, who was a part of the festival of many years and was on the Board of Directors for the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Donatto explained. \u201cFriends of Janet (FOJ) was established, and we added the FOJ logo to our donation boxes in her honor.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

For many in the community, the Festival of Trees isn\u2019t just an event; it\u2019s a holiday tradition that continues to bring people back year after year.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Festival of Trees has become a holiday tradition in Fort Myers because it blends nostalgia, creativity, and community impact in one place,\u201d according to Devon Morreale Parker, president and CEO of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. \u201cFamilies come year after year because they see local businesses, artists, and nonprofits pour their hearts into these trees. It\u2019s festive, joyful, and accessible \u2014 and it reflects the spirit of a community that loves coming together to support something bigger than themselves.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

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The 2024 Toy Tree delivered to Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

What started nearly 20 years ago with Goodwill and SBDAC working together has blossomed into a treasured holiday tradition that benefits the community, as festival attendees can win one of the adorned trees through the purchase of a raffle ticket.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt began as a small holiday fundraiser and has grown into a signature downtown tradition,\u201d Parker reflects. \u201cOver the years, the trees have become more elaborate, more creative, and more reflective of the people and businesses that make Fort Myers unique. We\u2019ve added more programming, more hands-on activities for families, and stronger partnerships with local designers and organizations. Every year it feels bigger and more ambitious.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

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COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Goodwill of Southwest Florida and SBDAC have worked collaboratively for nearly two decades, Donatto explained. \u201cWe consider their team a part of our extended family. We have held other events at their venue and have shared resources over the years. We share in the experience of delivering the trees to the winners\u2019 homes,\u201d she adds.\n<\/p>\n

One Christmas tree delivery after the festival that resonated took place in 2022, after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, particularly Fort Myers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOne that comes to mind is from the Festival of Trees immediately following Hurricane Ian in 2022. One of the tree winners won a home improvement themed tree and their home had flooded. We delivered and set up their tree in their emptied living room that had the lower four feet of drywall removed,\u201d Parker described. \u201cThey were so happy because the tree came with lots of tools and home improvement gift cards that they were able to use to help repair their house.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Another heart-warming recollection Donatto shares about people who have won trees in the past includes COVID Christmases and the feeling of seeing the impact a delivered tree with gifts has on the recipients.\n<\/p>\n

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2023 Fort Myers Technical Institute\u2019s Nutcracker Tree. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cDecember 2020 was huge. People kept thanking us for giving them hope and bringing a sense of normalcy back to their lives. One lady even said we saved her life. She came down to Florida after losing hope up north and found her way to Festival of Trees,\u201d Donatto recalled. \u201cShe told us that she was in a bad place mentally, but the festival gave her the hope she needed to pick up her spirits and made her realize that everything will be ok.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

An additional memorable tree delivery involved bringing a large tree up an elevator to an apartment that was full of children. \u201cThe look on their faces when they saw the beautiful tree with all the toys was priceless,\u201d Donatto said. \u201cJust knowing that you are part of someone\u2019s amazing holiday experience is so heartwarming. It\u2019s all about bringing joy to others \u2013 that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

With those heartfelt memories still shaping the festival\u2019s legacy, residents are once again bringing their gifts\u2014and their goodwill\u2014to uphold a tradition that continues to grow.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYour gift brings so much joy to children in our local community \u2013 especially during the holidays. A small gesture creates a lifetime of wonderful memories,\u201d Donatto believed. \u201cWe hear from the children (who are grown now), sharing their memories on how much that gift meant to them. They are still coming to Festival of Trees with their children in hopes of sharing that joy with their little ones.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

With nearly 30 themed Christmas trees featured at the festival in 2024, organizers say the momentum is setting the stage for even more creative themes and community participation in 2025.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest trend I see is that each year tree designers go bigger and more over the top with their designs. Each year tree designers find new ways to go over the top with their creativity and generosity,\u201d Parker says.\n<\/p>\n

For Parker in 2024, a couple of trees that stood out as personal favorites included LCEC\u2019s\u00a0\u201cFa La\u00a0La Fiesta\u201d tree and \u201cNorman Love Confections\u2019 A Very Chocolatey Christmas\u201d tree.\n<\/p>\n

As the 20th anniversary of this festive holiday event approaches in 2026, Parker and Donatto have even bigger visions than sugarplums dancing in their heads.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue expanding its creative footprint \u2014 more elaborate tree\u00a0installations, more hands-on art activities, and even greater opportunities for local artists and students to showcase their work,\u201d Parker continued. \u201cWe\u2019re also looking at ways to enhance the experience with evening programming, musical performances, and expanded community collaborations. The festival is one of Southwest Florida\u2019s most beloved holiday destinations and we are excited to see it grow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

In addition to more volunteers, Donatto also wishes for new event and tree sponsors in future festivals. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t do Festival of Trees without them,\u201d she said. Publix is the 2025 festival\u2019s title sponsor.\n<\/p>\n

Every raffle ticket purchased, every volunteer hour, and every visit to the event makes a difference.\n<\/p>\n

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2023 ENT Specialists of Florida\u2019s Florida Christmas Tree. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not just enjoying beautifully decorated trees \u2014 you\u2019re supporting job training, arts education, outreach programs, and arts programs. And community revitalization. If you\u2019ve ever wanted to be part of something uplifting and deeply local, this is it,\u201d she stated.\n<\/p>\n

Planning starts in the summer with a Jingle Mingle to prep the event\u2019s tree designers and goes through the tree delivery, which could not be done without the support of Two Men and a Truck, which volunteers their team and trucks annually to ensure trees are delivered to the winners, according to Donatto.\n<\/p>\n

Volunteers are integral to the event, whether they are volunteering throughout the Festival of Trees or serving as the\u00a0tree designers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are creative and generously give of their time and talents to create trees that are\u00a0works of art in and\u00a0of themselves,\u201d Parker believes. \u201cVolunteers help assemble trees, greet families, staff activities, and create a warm, welcoming environment. Each tree represents hours of imagination and teamwork, and the businesses that sponsor them treat the festival like a gift to the community.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Lee County Supervisor of Elections is another organization that volunteers its time and manpower to set up voting booths with official ballots so visitors can vote for their favorite trees, according to Donatto.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just encourage everyone to come out to the Festival of Trees. It\u2019s the most fun you\u2019ll have while supporting two local charities,\u201d Donatto added.\n<\/p>\n

Gratitude for partners and the community is a common feeling for event organizers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proud to host this now 19-year-old\u00a0tradition with Goodwill, and we\u2019re grateful to every artist, business, volunteer and family who make it special,\u201d Parker stated. \u201cThe Festival of Trees reminds us that creativity can bring a community together \u2014 and that joy is something we build collectively.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The 19th Annual Festival of Trees in Fort Myers takes place from Dec. 4 through Dec. 7, 2025, at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.\n<\/p>\n

In The KNOW:\n<\/p>\n

WHERE:\u00a0Sidney\u00a0&\u00a0Berne\u00a0Davis\u00a0Art\u00a0Center,\u00a02301\u00a01st\u00a0St,\u00a0Fort\u00a0Myers,\u00a0Florida.
\nWHEN:\u00a0The\u00a0festival\u00a0runs\u00a0from\u00a0December\u00a04th\u00a0to\u00a0December\u00a07th,\u00a02025.
\nTICKET PRICES: Entry is $2 per person, with free admission for children under 5 years old. Complimentary entry is also available with a new toy donation.
\nVOLUNTEER SIGN UP: signup.com\/go\/rerwBRC<\/a>
\nMORE INFO: fortmyersfestivaloftrees.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Festival of Trees. -COURTESY PHOTO The 19th Annual Festival of Trees is set to once again transform the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76720,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-76719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}