Embrace the spirit of giving and support the Museum by participating in our annual Festival of Trees fundraising event. This year the Festival will be open from December 1 to January 3, 2027.  Your donation gives you the opportunity to decorate a 7-½ foot pre-lit Christmas tree that will be on display throughout the month of December at the Museum.

Donation Levels

Several contribution levels are available:

• $550 full tree
• $275 half tree to be shared with another business
• $100 shared tree for either “Gratitude” or “Kinder” tree.
  These two trees are available for shared sponsorship. No decoration required.
• Gratitude Tree: Visitors share what they are grateful for by writing on an ornament to hang on the tree
• Kinder Tree: School children who visit the Museum in December hang their hand-made decorations on this tree.

By participating in the Festival of Trees, you receive:

• Name recognition and inclusion on Festival promotions.
• Name and logo on tree signage on site at the Museum which will be seen by the anticipated three thousand visitors to the festival.
• Excellent community exposure through our social media sites and at the Museum for the month of December.
• A tax receipt for your festival donation.
• A unique team building opportunity for your business or organization to plan and decorate the tree.

Sign up here to sponsor a tree.

Decorating Guidelines

We can’t wait to see what you create! To help make the Festival of Trees beautiful, safe and enjoyable for everyone, please keep these guidelines in mind as you plan your tree.

Trees
To create a consistent look throughout the Festival, all trees will be provided by the Museum at Campbell River. Each team will receive a pre-lit, 7½-foot tree and an extension cord.

Decorations
We encourage you to get creative and have fun with your theme! Trees should have a festive, holiday feel and decorations should be attractive, durable and suitable for a public display. The Museum may ask for adjustments or additional decorations if needed.

Please decorate the entire tree, including the back, as visitors will be able to see it from different angles. A tree skirt or other attractive base covering should also be included as part of your design.

Please avoid fragile ornaments or decorations that could be easily broken.

Live or perishable materials, including plants, flowers and food, cannot be used.

Lights & Electrical
Your tree will come pre-lit. Due to electrical limitations, additional plug-in lights cannot be used, but battery-operated lights are welcome.

Fire Safety
Please make sure decorations are fire retardant wherever possible. Keep in mind that “fire retardant” does not necessarily mean “fireproof.”

For safety reasons, please do not use highly flammable materials such as certain forms of eucalyptus, hay, straw, plastic ribbon, latex-coated greenery or some preserved greenery.

What to Bring
Teams are responsible for bringing any tools, equipment and materials needed to decorate their tree.

Business & Organization Signage
The Museum will provide identification signage for each tree so that all participants are recognized in a consistent way.

To keep the displays focused on the creativity of the trees themselves, please don’t add promotional or marketing materials such as business cards, logos, advertisements or promotional photos to your display.

Need a Little Help?
If you’re unable to decorate your own tree, let us know! The Museum can arrange for our Decorating Elves to decorate it for you.

Voting & Awards

Visitors to the Festival will receive a ballot and are invited to vote for their favourite trees. As you make your choices, consider:

• Creativity – How creatively has the theme been brought to life?
• Design – How well do the colours, decorations and overall look work together?
• Craftsmanship – How much thought, care and effort went into the tree?
• Presentation – What kind of overall impression does the tree make?

Voting will take place from December 1–19, with the winners announced on December 21 through the Museum’s social media channels. Award ribbons will also be added to the winning tree displays.

Award Categories

1. Most Whimsical
For the tree that makes you smile with its playful, imaginative or delightfully unexpected decorations.

2. Most Elegant
For the tree that stands out for its beautiful, polished and thoughtfully coordinated design.

3. Most Uniquely Campbell River – Returning Favourite!
For the tree that creatively captures something distinctive or recognizable about Campbell River.

4. People’s Choice Award
The big one! Visitors vote for the tree that is simply their overall favourite.

After the Festival

The Festival closes on January 3, 2027. Decorators are responsible for collecting their decorations and materials, with all items picked up by Sunday, January 10, 2027.

Unfortunately, the Museum and Festival of Trees organizers cannot be responsible for items left behind after the pickup period. Any decorations remaining after the scheduled pickup times may become the property of the Museum.

And Most Importantly… Have Fun!

This is your chance to create something memorable! Think colour, creativity, personality and a little holiday magic. Whether your tree is whimsical, elegant, traditional or completely unexpected, we encourage you to create something that makes visitors stop, smile and say, “Wow!”