11-28-2024 4:18am

YOUR COMPLETE

Tickets to Festival of Trees 2024 are available here!

About The Festival

Join the fun at the 35th Annual Festival of Trees, returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds on Thanksgiving weekend, November 29 through December 1. Enjoy three days of holiday cheer that benefits the patients, students and programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Hundreds of designer-decorated trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses will be on sale and displayed throughout the Cow Palace, which will be transformed into a winter wonderland for this festive weekend.

Don't miss all that Festival of Trees has in store, including:

One-of-a-kind, designer-decorated trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses on display and for sale
A bevy of raffle items, ranging from sports tickets to family fun packages, to view and easily purchase entries online
Holiday entertainment
In-person visits with Santa Claus
Special giveaways from Festival of Trees Title Sponsor, Truist (while supplies last)
Artisan vendors selling handmade crafts, novelties, ornaments and gifts
A Maryland themed Lego City: Baltimore Brick Builders will be setting up a huge interactive Lego display with millions of Lego parts transformed into a Maryland themed Lego city landscape!
NEW! Celebrate 35 year of Festival of Trees by attending our special birthday party on Sunday, December 1, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Healthcare and Education Heroes Day, Saturday, November 30: Healthcare workers and educators with a valid employee ID will receive half off the price of one general admission ticket purchased at the box office on November 30!
Hometown Spirit Day, Sunday, December 1: Wear Baltimore Ravens or Orioles apparel when attending Festival of Trees during this special day of hometown spirit!

Kick off the holiday season fun at Festival of Trees!

Festival of Trees 35th Birthday Party!

Join us for a special celebration on Sunday morning, December 1, from 8-10 a.m., and enjoy Festival of Trees without the crowds! Tickets include a free birthday dessert, free hot chocolate from Truist, unlimited amusement rides for the kids, visits with Santa, special giveaways and all-day admission to Festival of Trees! A limited number of tickets are available while supplies last. All ages must have a ticket.

Purchase Tickets!

Healthcare and Education Heroes Day: Saturday, November 30

Healthcare workers and educators with a valid employee ID will receive half off the price of one ticket purchased at the box office on November 30!

Hometown Spirit Day: Sunday, December 1

Wear Baltimore Ravens or Orioles apparel when attending Festival of Trees during this special day of hometown spirit!

Representatives from the Orioles will be on-site with prizes, photo ops and an appearance by the Oriole Bird.

Baltimore Brick Builders present a Lego Master Meet and Greet

Baltimore Brick Builders present a Lego Master Meet and Greet with Lego Master Mel Brown on Friday, November 29, Saturday, November 30, and Sunday, December 1, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Mel Brown, a contestant on season 1 of LEGO Masters USA (2020), and winner of LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular in 2022, will be demonstrating Lego building techniques, answering questions, signing autographs and taking pictures! This will take place near the Lego City & Santa Stage.

Support kids and families at Kennedy Krieger.

Festival of Trees raises much-needed funds to provide services to the more than 27,000 patients and students who turn to Kennedy Krieger Institute each year. Your past support for Kennedy Krieger is so appreciated. Your support this year is more important than ever.

Donate Today

Connect With Us For the Latest News on Festival of Trees

Make sure to follow Kennedy Krieger’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages to stay up to date on all the latest news for Festival of Trees. Help us spread the word by liking and sharing Festival of Trees posts!

Please email us at FestivalofTrees@KennedyKrieger.org if you have any questions.

Festival of Trees Ambassadors

Congratulations to our Lainy's Legacy Festival of Trees Ambassadors 2024!

Kennedy Krieger thanks you for contributing to the success of the Institute’s largest annual fundraiser and salutes you for the personal accomplishments that led to this nomination and honor.

Karsyn

Karsyn, 3, has smooth brain syndrome, which means her brain lacks normal folds and grooves. Therapies at Kennedy Krieger give her a fighting chance. “She’s now more eager to explore her world,” says her mom, Jessica. “Kennedy Krieger has given us hope.”

Quinnlyn

At just 7 weeks old, Quinnlyn was diagnosed with Sturge-Weber syndrome, which can cause seizures and other health issues. Treatment offered through a clinical trial at Kennedy Krieger has kept seizures from starting. Now, she’s 9 years old and thriving!

Zane

When Zane was 2, he suddenly became very sick and lost his ability to talk and move his arms and legs. A therapist at Kennedy Krieger introduced him to a speech-generating device. Now 6, Zane uses the device to talk about anything and everything!

Matt-Matt

Matt-Matt, 4, attends Kennedy Krieger’s Early Childhood Development and Education Center, where he receives care for a complex set of diagnoses. “The teachers are so supportive,” says his mom, Stephanie. “They are, in large part, the reason he is so amazing.”

Maria

Maria, 14, attends Kennedy Krieger’s Fairmount Campus school. “Maria has shown so much progress in her increased responsibility and social skills,” says her mom, Molly. “During school breaks, she can’t wait to return to school and see her friends.”

Aiden

Aiden, 14, has autism and has attended Kennedy Krieger’s Fairmount Campus school for the past six years. In that time, his family has seen him become more independent, and his speech has improved. We’re so excited to see what he does next!

Rides, Games and Activities

Festival of Trees offers a variety of rides, games, activities and more!

We have everything from a train ride and fun house to a wheelchair-accessible carousel. You can’t forget to try some of our great games, either!

The North Pole, also known as the Kids’ Area at Festival of Trees, is home to the following rides, games and activities:

Visits with Santa
Train Ride
Boat Ride
Motorcycle Ride
Carousel (Wheelchair accessible)
Fun House
Carnival Games
Remote Control Racetrack
Coloring
Cookie Decorating
Santa Letter Writing/Express Mailbox
A Maryland themed Lego City: Baltimore Brick Builders will be setting up a huge interactive Lego display with millions of Lego parts transformed into a Maryland themed Lego city landscape!
Other activities offered by our vendors

No matter what your child likes, they are sure to find something thrilling in the North Pole!

Purchase Activity Tickets at the Green & White Ticket Booths in the North Hall for $1 each (Cash and Credit accepted)

1 Activity Ticket: Carnival Games (1 Ticket Per Game, 6 Games Total)
2 Activity Tickets: Carousel, Train Ride, Boat Ride, Motorcycle Ride and Fun House
3 Activity Tickets: Remote Control Racetrack
$10 Wristband: Unlimited Carousel, Train, Motorcycle and Boat Rides, and Fun House Walkthroughs.
Activity Discount Pack - $20 each. Includes: 12 Activity Tickets and 1 Wristband. (Best option if you plan to do everything!)

History

If Santa Had A Theme Park, This Would Be It!

Over the years, Festival of Trees has grown in size, made exciting additions, and expanded its status as one of the area’s most eagerly anticipated events of the year.

In the Beginning

Kennedy Krieger Institute’s first Festival of Trees was held on December 8, 1990, at Festival Hall, located at the Convention Center in downtown Baltimore. This first Festival featured an opening ceremony; celebrity lunch; over 100 decorated trees, wreaths, and table-top displays; a full-size antique carousel; shopping vendors; holiday entertainment; children’s activities; and of course, Santa. More than 25,000 people attended this 8-day winter wonderland, raising nearly $400,000 for the Institute.

From the City to the Cow Palace

In 1994, as Kennedy Krieger Institute prepared to celebrate its 5th Annual Festival of Trees, the location was changed from Festival Hall to the Cow Palace at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. This change allowed the event to grow substantially, offer easy light rail access and unlimited free parking, and attract more visitors from outside the city.

Around that time, Festival of Trees dates were changed from the second week of December to Thanksgiving week (Wednesday-Sunday), which allowed the event to capture holiday gift shoppers, people looking for holiday decorations, and families looking for a fun activity to kick off the holiday season. This change boosted attendance, which jumped to 50,000 that year! Six years later, the Festival schedule was changed to the three days following Thanksgiving. This Friday/Saturday/Sunday format continues to this day.

A Wonderland for Children and the Young at Heart

Over the years, there have been many new and exciting additions to Festival. Children now have the opportunity to not only sit on Santa’s lap, but also mail, have faxed and even call the big man in red directly with their wish lists while onsite at Festival of Trees. Santa has made his Festival grand entrance in a variety of ways, including a “reindeer” pony-drawn sleigh, a bicycle built for two, and even a helicopter directly from the North Pole! Additionally, children’s activities have grown substantially throughout the years to include a train ride, remote control car racing, a fun house, a boat ride and much more!

Celebrities Join the Fun

Over the years Festival of Trees has featured a variety of entertainment acts, including the ever-popular Grammy-nominated children’s rock band Milkshake, the Dynamic Acrobats of China, world-renowned magician Tod Buchanan, and one year, nine Hawthorne White Bengal Tigers!

Many local celebrities made Festival of Trees part of their own holiday tradition, including former governors Martin O’Malley and William Donald Schaefer, movie actress Janet Leigh, former University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, former Baltimore Ravens Matt Stover and Jamal Lewis, current Baltimore Raven Justin Tucker, Olympic gold medalist figure skater Dorothy Hamill, Major League Baseball and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer BJ Surhoff. They each graciously lent their time and talent through sports clinics, autograph sessions, and holiday story reading.

The Great Power Outage of 1997

Festival of Trees has had to endure its fair share of “challenges,” including the power outage of 1997. After a night of treacherous winds and storms, the Cow Palace lost electricity on Saturday morning at 4 a.m. Lainy LeBow-Sachs, former executive vice president for External Relations at the Institute, recalls, “After a little panicking, a lot of praying, and a phone call to the CEO of BG&E at his vacation home on the Eastern Shore, the power was finally restored and Festival was able to open its doors at 5 p.m. that evening.” As for Festival’s success that year? Festival of Trees 1997 still raised $150,000 more than the previous year!

Festival Today

Festival of Trees has grown significantly since its first year at Festival Hall, and is now the largest holiday event of its kind on the East Coast! The venue has tripled in size to more than 150,000 square feet of holiday fun and now features nearly 900 trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses decorated by local families, organizations and businesses. In 2018, over the course of three days, Festival of Trees attracted 50,000 attendees and raised nearly $1.2 million! In 2019, Festival of Trees celebrated its 30th year and welcomed its 1 millionth visitor!

Although Festival of Trees has evolved and grown over the years, the core mission of the event has stayed the same: to raise funds for children with disabilities, and their families, served by Kennedy Krieger Institute and to continue to increase awareness of the Institute’s work by creating a spectacular event for the greater Baltimore community to enjoy. Over the years, and across generations, Festival of Trees has become an eagerly anticipated tradition for many families throughout the region. Why not make it one of yours?