MOOSE JAW — An honoured tradition is set to return to Moose Jaw once again as the annual Festival of Trees has been confirmed for this October.
This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
“Every year, the chair of the Festival of Trees comes up with an amazing idea, and this year, Kim Waldo hit it out of the park,” announced Kelly McElree, director of the MJHF. Waldo is the volunteer chair of the Festival of Trees.
The theme of this year’s festival will be “Sugar & Spice & Notoriously Nice.”
“We are going to take festival guests and transport them back to the Roaring ‘20s with the help of our friends at the Tunnels of Moose Jaw,” he said. “When they come to the festival, they will step into Saskatchewan’s largest speakeasy for an immersive prohibition experience.
“The evening’s going to be filled with clamour and excitement as we raise funds for our Vision of Tomorrow campaign to bring next generation surgical equipment to our hospital,” McElree added.
The annual festival is an ongoing community tradition and McElree said each year sees “an outpouring of support” without fail.
“We appreciate all that support because it makes such a phenomenal difference, especially with this surgical campaign,” he said.
“When you think of the thousands of surgeries that happen at our hospital each… year, when people come to the Festival of Trees and support it — whether they volunteer, donate an auction item, sponsor an auction item, or come and attend an incredible evening — it makes a true difference in our community.”
This year’s festival is set to include feature craft cocktails and “just an incredible Italian buffet with flavours and flair” ahead of the traditional auction.
Following the auction, a performance by award-winning singer Melissa Mannett and the musical group ‘Mascara’ will perform live so guests can hit the dance floor “and show their notorious moves.”
The inspiration for the theme has been in the works for several years already.
“This is a theme that festival volunteers have wanted to do for a number of years,” explained McElree. “This year, that (theme) came front and centre… and with the enthusiastic support of the Tunnels of Moose Jaw… it all just seemed to come together.”
Plus, he added, many people are excited by the idea which is also tied to Moose Jaw’s downtown tourism sector.
“People can come to the festival this year and dress up in their best ‘20s-era outfits and just have an amazing time,” he said.
On Sunday, Oct. 20, the traditional Festival of Trees brunch will return at the same venue with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. The morning’s meal will feature an Italian-themed brunch.
“The brunch is really a family brunch for people that didn’t come to the festival but still want to see the trees and auction items,” McElree explained. The brunch includes a chance to see what’s been auctioned and Dance Images by BJ will be providing live entertainment.
“The festival has impacted every single area of the old hospital and this new hospital,” he continued. “It’s truly humbling to know that one event can impact so many people in this community each year. It literally impacts thousands of people.”
In just one example of the festival’s impact, the specialized breast imaging equipment purchased after last year’s festival is anticipated to be operational sometime this fall.
“It’s a complete community effort, because everyone knows someone that has benefited from having a state-of-the-art hospital in their community, and the festival helps keep that… hospital up to date…”
Tickets are on sale now and will be available up to around one week before the festival begins on Oct. 19. Tickets are $125 for individuals and $1,000 for a table of eight.
To purchase your tickets for the auction and/or brunch portion of the festival, visit SaskTix.ca.
The Moose Jaw Events Centre is located at 110 First Avenue Northwest.
