For Christmas Shopping, Try the Festival of Trees in Downtown Boise

A Great Place for Shopping and Christmas Cheer

Festival of Trees, at the Center on the Grove
Run by Saint Alphonsus Hospital
Tickets for seeing the trees sold at the door; tickets for the dinner auction should be purchased in advance, through the Grove or Saint Alphonsus

My mother took me to the first Saint Alphonsus Festival of Trees when I was just a baby. Back then, it was just a few decorated trees. Now, it is a truly gala holiday event that, according to the Saint Alphonsus website, has raised over $4 million dollars for healthcare improvement in the Treasure Valley.

Even though that is amazing, it’s not really that surprising when you think of how many people include the Festival of Trees as a major event in their holiday traditions. The event is now located in the fashionable Boise Center on the Grove in downtown, which makes it even more fun to go to.

The Festival of Trees begins with the dinner and auction on the opening night. It is one of the few events in the city of Boise where people really go to the trouble of getting dressed in their finest. It is an elegant event that attracts hundreds of people (over 1,000 in 2004,) and the auction raises a lot of money for the healthcare cause - and they auction of some great stuff, thanks to generous sponsors.

Although the Gala dinner is not the greatest place for kids, never fear: the Festival of Trees is a very kid friendly community event as a whole. Children will love the Breakfast with Santa that takes place in the mornings, as well as getting their picture taken with Santa Claus at any time. There are also contests and art projects that kids can participate in. A good day to take kids in on family day, when they have the scavenger hunt.