More than a premier holiday event, Festival of Trees is the annual fundraiser for Quad City Arts, a local non-profit arts organization dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad City region through the presentation, development and celebration of the arts.
Over the past 36 years, Festival has evolved from a 2-day event in one room, into a 10-day event utilizing the entire 70,000 square foot River Center complex in Downtown Davenport. The event features 100 designer trees, 14 special events, the largest helium balloon parade in the Midwest, 3,500 volunteers and more than 100,000 visitors each year.
Festival has a $2.5 million-dollar economic impact on the community and is recognized as one of the top events of its kind in North America, raising over $8 million dollars in support of local arts since 1986.
Celebrating Over 35 Years of Festival Traditions
Festival of Trees started in 1986 with a small group of volunteers led by former Quad Citizen, Diane Sulg, that believed in the impact of the arts. That first year, their purpose was twofold: First, be a community celebration of the holiday season during a time of economic recession; second, to raise funds for the arts through the Visiting Artist Series, a nationally recognized residency program that brings world-class performing artists to the Quad Cities for outreach performances in area schools. And with that in mind, they set out on a mission to support bringing high-quality artists right here to the Quad Cities, inspiring a generation of students and families through access to the arts.
Led by a powerhouse group of women who believed in Festival of Trees, they drew support from over 100 local businesses who took a chance on this brand-new event, the first Festival of Trees in 1986 was an incredible, miraculous success.
Over the years, Festival of Trees has evolved from a 2-day event in one room, into a 11-day event utilizing the 70,000 square foot River Center complex in Downtown Davenport. The event has not only continued to be a major supporter of The Visiting Artist Series, and Quad City Arts, but it’s also become a staple in the Quad Cities as the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season, bringing together hundreds of sponsors, designers, volunteers, entertainers and tens of thousands of supporters to experience the magic of Festival. And it all started with that group of volunteers who believed it was possible.
For 50 years, Quad City Arts has been enriching the quality of life right here in our community, and support from Festival of Trees is crucial to continuing and expanding that mission.
