Join us in celebrating 40 years of holiday magic with Festival of Trees! Over the next 40 days, we’ll be sharing “40 Stories in 40 Days” — heartwarming memories and behind-the-scenes moments that have made this community tradition shine.
We’re especially grateful to our partners at The Quad-City Times for helping us share these stories and for their ongoing commitment through the years to tell the story of Quad City Arts’ Festival of Trees.
Stay tuned and celebrate with us as we honor four decades of creativity, community, and cheer!
Quad City Arts’ Festival of Trees
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A Story the Times never stopped telling
Some traditions survive because someone cared enough to tell their story. Festival of Trees is one of those traditions. For 40 years, the Quad-City Times has carried the festival from a single idea into a community hallmark.
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When the Quad-City Times became society’s must-read newspaper
From the start, it was dazzling, unexpected and embraced. But it wasn’t only the event itself that made an impact — it was how the Quad-City Times told its story. That storytelling transformed the festival from a promising debut into an enduring cultural tradition.
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It was 1986
In the midst of a major national economic recession, Quad City Arts and its volunteers rose to rally around the first annual premier holiday kick-off event — Festival of Trees. What was to be a celebration of joy turned into a celebration of a life well-lived.
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When women built the first night of magic
In 1986, Festival of Trees lit up the RiverCenter for the very first time. But before a single ribbon was tied, it needed credibility — people who could turn an idea into a must-attend community tradition.