Preparing for Festival of Trees, 2024

 ABOVE: Starting Tuesday, volunteers began working to once again turn the David S. Palmer Arena into FESTIVAL OF TREES.

Festival of Trees is once again coming to the David S. Palmer Arena, open to the public starting Saturday morning at 11 AM.  Volunteers have been working on the set up this week.  But the Balloons Over Vermilion team, leading the way for Festival of Trees since 2021, works hard year round to have all the pieces in place.

In a recent episode of Pat O’Shaughnessy’s CHEERS program on 1490 WDAN, Sara Robinson took us back to the very beginning of the idea for a Festival of Trees in Danville.  She said something she used to do in Springfield gave her some confidence.

AUDIO: My husband and I lived in Springfield back in the early 90s.  And my husband volunteered for the Festival of Trees that they held in Springfield.  And then, in 1995, I moved to the Danville area with my husband and our son.  Before I became a stay at home Mom, I had been executive director of the air show in Springfield.

Volunteers for Festival of Trees 2024 have been working on the main floor, as well as on the upper level and the pathway to down below.

And that experience with the air show, from fundraising to organizing, made Sara believe in the Danville Festival of Trees idea.  Jim Anderson, one of the leaders of Festival of Trees and Balloons Over Vermilion for several years, says the magic never ends.

AUDIO: It is something that continues to excite and amaze me each year.  And I think one of the things that I appreciate most about the event, besides the kids’ eyes being as big as silver dollars when they see the event for the first time, is talking about the event to folks from other communities.

Scenes from Festival of Trees, 2023; including D102’s Tommy B reading to visiting children.

We all know about special Festival of Trees events such as the Princess Tea Party and the Ladies Luncheon.  But how did Pickle Day get started?  Gary Resh shared some memories of that story.

AUDIO: Something I started, my wife Doris and I; we started Pickle Day, I don’t know, 10-15 years ago.  And we hide six pickles, about two inches long, in six trees on the floor.  (Sara-pickle ornaments.)  Pickle ornaments, thank you.  It’s not a jar of pickles, no.  And, I think the first or second year, a little kid came up with a pickle in his hand, and said “here, I found a pickle!”  And we’re like, No No!  So don’t take the pickles off the tree.

Festival of Trees hours this year are 11 to 8 Saturday, Noon to 7 Sunday, 9 to 8 Monday and Tuesday, and 9 to 3 on the concluding Wednesday.  Go to festivaloftreesdanville.com for more.

To hear all of Pat’s interview with Sara, Jim, and Gary; please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/cheers-vermilion-county/