01/09/2026
What an incredible season! 🎄
The 17th Annual Festival of Trees, held November 24 through January 4, has officially wrapped up. Thanks to our amazing community, we raised $12,131 for local nonprofits, surpassing last year’s total!
Hosted by the Bedford Area Welcome Center & Destination Bedford Virginia, this year’s “Small Town Christmas” theme welcomed over 10,500 visitors and featured 40 beautifully decorated trees from local businesses and organizations, each supporting a charity close to their hearts. Every $1 vote went directly to the chosen nonprofit, proof that small votes truly make a big difference.
✨ Top Fundraising Trees (1,000+ votes):
Blue Ridge Garden Club (The Shepherd’s Table)
Smith Mountain Lake Democratic Club (Food for Kids)
✨ 500+ Votes:
• Bedford Area Family YMCA (YMCA Oncology Program)
• Moorman Market – Florals & Décor (Bedford Community Christmas Station)
• Rowlett’s Auto & Tire (Liberty High School Minutemen Club)
• Tuck Chiropractic (Friends of Bedford County Animal Shelter)
✨ 400+ Votes:
• National D-Day Memorial (NDDMF Educational Initiatives)
• Petal Ridge Farms & Nana’s Nifty Crafts (Bedford Cares)
• Ride Source, LLC (Bedford Community Health Foundation)
• The Blue Lady (Bedford Domestic Violence Coalition)
Children also enjoyed our scavenger hunt, with over 2,300 participants. This was 200 more than last year! Extended evening hours helped even more people experience the event.
💬 “Festival of Trees is about bringing people together to support local causes, and every participant made a meaningful impact,” shared event manager Michelle Crumpacker.
💬 “It truly took a community effort to make this event so successful,” added Nicole Johnson, Director of Tourism.
❤️ Thank you to every business, organization, volunteer, and visitor who helps make Festival of Trees such a meaningful tradition. This event truly wouldn’t be possible without your support and generosity. We also want to thank the Welcome Center staff for pulling it all together and ensuring the event ran smoothly.
🎄 Interested in participating this year? Applications will be available this spring!
📧 Contact Michelle Crumpacker at [email protected] for more information.