There is little doubt that the Midcoast Tree Festival is my favorite event of the year. Our 6th Annual MTF is just around the corner, and so this week, I want to highlight some new changes this year. However, before that, I want to tell you why this event is best community event I’ve ever been a part of.
Because it helps so many people and businesses.
For starters, it’s a fundraiser for our Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber (which runs numerous programs for businesses), All Saints Parish (which offers heating assistance and many other programs through the congregation) and Spectrum Generations (which runs Meals on Wheels and many other programs for people throughout Central Maine and the Midcoast region). The funds raised go directly to helping our communities.
Additionally, each business that sponsors the event, creates a tree space or creates a wreath, gets noticed by over 1,900 families who attend this six-day event. That exposure puts these businesses top of mind for holiday shoppers and gets them recognized as supporting a great community event by giving so much during the holidays. The businesses also benefit from building tree spaces as it has become a great teambuilding exercise for a lot of staffs.
In terms of the cost, with a $2 entry fee and children 12 and under being free, the price to get in is affordable for almost everyone, and with the raffle tickets being only 50 cents apiece, that fits nearly all budgets. Even if you don’t want to but any tickets but just come see the trees, you also get to experience children’s crafts and live entertainment all at no cost. Giving families an activity to do during the holiday season that is so inclusive cost-wise is just a wonderful thing to be a part of.
Finally, for the families that are lucky enough to win the trees, they get $500 worth of gifts and decorations one month before the holidays and, in most cases, a tree they can use or donate back to the festival. Last year, we gave out over $56,000 in gifts. Of those gifts, 233 were gift cards that represented 166 different businesses. That alone drove huge economic impact back into the community because many people redeemed the gift card and likely found an extra item or two to buy, or at the very least, became aware of a business they might not have shopped at otherwise.
The ripple effect of this event is huge, and it grows every year. For that, having more volunteers to help would be great. You can find the volunteer link on the BBRC website at midcoastmaine.com/midcoast-tree-festival.
Here are four other big updates:
Sponsors step up big
The event, for at least the next two years, will be called the “Midcoast Tree Festival presented by Hammond Lumber Company” as they jumped on this year as our exclusive presenting sponsor for 2024 and 2025! Hammond Lumber Company has been huge a supporter since our very first year, creating tree spaces that often overwhelm with how much they give and the creativity in which they build the space with.
As for other sponsors, we will have more entertainment thanks to two entertainment and stage sponsors: Bill Dodge Auto Group and Fidium Fiber! It’s real important to note that we use these sponsorship dollars to enhance the event, which should make it a bigger and better win-tree wonderland for all! We do have other sponsor levels still being signed on, so I will have a full list of sponsors next week for all levels.
Gingerbread house building competition, opening night
New this year, during our grand opening celebration, will be a gingerbread house building competition sponsored by Anderson Green Homes. We have bought gingerbread house kits with the sponsorship money and have 30 slots that can be signed up for. Competitors will have an hour to create their gingerbread house, and we will then have them on display to be voted on throughout the entire festival. The competition registration will go live this Friday on the Midcoast Tree Festival Facebook page. We expect all 30 spots to fill up, so please pre-register (oh, and it’s free to register).
Midcoast Tree Festival silent auction
Originally, I had planned for this auction to be online and on-site, but the logistics were just too tricky to figure out, so in fairness to all, we have decided to have it exclusively on-site. This auction will consist of 10-15 higher-end items for people to bid on, which will include a few items but mostly experiences. Some will be overnight stays, some will be tickets to events, some will be handmade items. We will pepper the Midcoast Tree Festival Facebook page with the items up for auction in the 24 hours prior to opening night and then throughout the two weekends.
More trees, hours and entertainment
We have already gotten above our 50-tree space record with hopes we will hit our maximum goal of 55 tree spaces this year, which just means more opportunities for families to win!
As for more hours, with opening night being our only late night in the past, we have remedied that with making the second Saturday, so Nov. 30, a night that goes until 8 p.m., too. We did that intentionally as both downtowns welcome Santa that day, and perhaps people would want to come over after that and join us.
As for entertainment, the Great Stefan will be performing, as will caricature artist Melita Lewis of Your Caricature, along with numerous choruses and musical entertainment. We will have at least two entertainment acts per day and some days we’ll have three!
Keep up-to-date with all of it on the Midcoast Tree Festival Facebook page and if you want to volunteer, sponsor, donate an item or create a tree or wreath, visit midcoastmaine.com for all of the links.
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.