A Sterling holiday staple, the Festival of Trees, returns to Northland Mall for 35th year

STERLING – A holiday staple for many Sterling residents, the Festival of Trees, is returning to Northland Mall for its 35th annual event.

The Rock River Hospice and Home fundraiser will kick off with a gala starting at 5 p.m. Saturday at Deer Valley Golf Club, 3298 Hoover Road in Deer Grove. The main event at Northland Mall, 2900 E. Lincolnway in Sterling, will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 18 and run through Nov. 24.

“We have an awesome entertainment schedule,” said Chandra Howard, marketing director at Rock River Hospice. We have everything from a kids’ crafting corner to decorating cookies to a barbershop quartet. We’ve also got hands-on classes. There’s a couple painting parties, there’s a porch pot class. You can learn how to make a bow for the top of your Christmas tree.”

The Country Store, a pop-up shop, offers a wide selection of festive gifts, decor, handmade items and baked goods for a limited time. Before the festival’s opening on Nov. 18, the store will be open at the mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, and from noon. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.

The annual Festival of Trees' Country Store, shown here in 2020, features dozens of handmade items. All proceeds from the event are donated to Rock River Hospice and Home.

For 2024, there are about 50 decorated Christmas trees, donated by Sterling law firm Mertes & Mertes P.C., wreaths and other festive items that will be available in a silent auction.

About half the trees are 5 feet tall and the other half are referred to as “friendship trees,” standing 3 feet tall. Student volunteers from the Sauk Valley Community College Impact Program are assembling the trees, fluffing them and helping to organize them all, according to Howard.

On Sunday, the decorators, who are volunteers ranging “from people doing it in memory of a loved one that has passed away to people who are hardcore decorators,” will arrive, she said. Members of area 4-H clubs and the Boy Scouts are also volunteering to decorate.

About 20 of the trees are sponsored by area schools and will be decorated by the students. The “school trees” won’t be available for raffle or auction; instead, eventgoers will vote for their favorites by putting spare change into that tree’s bucket. The school that gets the most votes for its tree will win a prize at the end of the event, Howard said.

“We really wanted to make sure to include all corners of the counties that we serve. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of getting tons of people involved this year,” she said.

Rock River Hospice is a community-based, nonprofit organization that has served Whiteside, Lee, Carroll, Ogle and Bureau counties for over 38 years. The hospice home has six in-patient rooms and provides care to patients at their homes. Individuals are not billed by the hospice for routine services and “we never turn anybody away if they aren’t able to pay,” Howard said.

The event is free to attend and the proceeds go to Rock River Hospice. The businesses hosting events for the fundraiser also are donating a portion, if not all, of the proceeds to the hospice center, according to Howard.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and it helps keep us in the community and able to help as many people as we can,” Howard said.

Event schedule

Monday, Nov. 18

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
11 a.m., festival event opens
5-6 p.m., live music by Lyle Muntean on the keyboard
5-7 p.m., Kids Kraft Korner
6-7 p.m., live music by Harvest Time Bible Church children’s choir
6-7:30 p.m., holiday bow-making class hosted by Golden Key Gifts & Candle Co

Tuesday, Nov. 19

10-11 a.m., live music by the Dulcimers
10-11:30 a.m., Senior Coffee hosted by Citadel
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
11 a.m. to noon, live music by Ryan Bizarri, a Nashville-based singer and guitar player
4-5 p.m., live music by Todd Lonrenc, a ukulele player
5-7 p.m., live music by the Whitlocked and Loaded band
6-7 p.m., snowman-painting class using cutting boards, hosted by Jean Schutt

Wednesday, Nov. 20

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
6-8 p.m., bingo

Thursday, Nov. 21

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
5-6:30 p.m., holiday centerpiece-making class hosted by Ashley Zell from Lundstrom Florist in Sterling
6-7 p.m., live music by the Barbershop Quartet
6-8 p.m., stomp line dancing

Friday, Nov. 22

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
5-6:30 p.m., holiday outdoor porch pot making class hosted by Zell

Saturday, Nov. 23

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Country Store open hours
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids cookie-decorating class hosted by students in the Whiteside Area Career Center’s CEO class
2-3 p.m., cardio drummers class hosted by the Dixon Family YMCA
3 p.m., bidding for trees and table settings ends
6-7 p.m., snowman-painting party hosted by artist Jamie Blakleslee

Sunday, Nov. 24

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., checkout and item pickup
Noon to 3 p.m., Country Store open hours
2 p.m., auction and raffle for all items, except for trees, ends

For information, visit the Rock River Hospice Facebook page or hospicerockriver.org.