Festival of Trees returns to Morris

GRUNDY COUNTY – Each year, the Grundy County Historical Society and Museum opens its doors for its Festival of Trees fundraiser where dozens of decorated Christmas trees all representing multiple themes are displayed for a silent auction among the museum’s fossils, artifacts and photos.

“We turn this whole museum into a winter wonderland and people love to come in and walk around. I mean we have people from all over not just Grundy County and they come back every year,” volunteer and decorator Sandi Drensfeldt said.

The Festival of Trees is the largest fundraiser for the Grundy County Historical Society and it is held in conjunction with Home for Holidays, all the proceeds go towards the museum and the community.

Some of the trees are decorated traditionally, while others are decorated with a specific pop culture phenomenon in mind, such as the “Stranger Things” tree donated by JoEllyn Johnson, Tim and Ashley Wills, and decorated by Kaylee and Wills.

“We have a lot of key decorators and we try to keep everything up to date to include everything that is currently popular,” Dresfeldt said.

“Right now, I would say the golf tree and of course, the ‘Stranger Things’ tree, are the ones people come in to look at,” she said.

This year, the trees are adorned with ornaments of all sorts, including glitter, sequins, bows and even footballs. There is a candy tree, a “Minions” tree, and a vintage truck hauling a tree home for the holidays made by Century 21 Coleman-Hornsby.

All of the trees’, centerpieces, wreaths and pieces of holiday decor will be available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 10-26, with extended hours Friday, Nov. 25, to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 26, until the completion of the online auction, which will close around 5 p.m.

Three special raffles with three prizes and multiple holiday raffles will be held. Tickets for the special raffle cost $5 or five for $20. Prizes include a seven-night stay in a one-bedroom home on a golf course in Galena, a holiday table setting for four or a 55-inch Samsung Smart TV.

The holiday raffle costs $1 a ticket, $5 for six tickets or a wingspan (two-arms length) for $20. Prizes include a holiday sleigh, a Christmas gnome, a giant snowman and a Ronnie the Cow floor pillow. Ticket sales end at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26.

All winners will be notified Saturday, Nov. 26, with available pickup times from noon to 3 p.m Sunday, Nov. 27, at the Grundy County Historical Society and Museum. Local delivery is available Monday, Nov. 28, in the evening for a $25 fee. Good luck!

The community is able to bid and view at the museum or at richardaolson.com, the auction ends at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26.

What: Festival of Trees

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 10-19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Saturday, Nov. 26

Where: Grundy County Historical Society, 510 W. Illinois Ave. in Morris