Festival of Trees | November 24–26, 2023
Grab the lights and cue the holiday music: The 34th annual Festival of Trees is scheduled to return November 24–26 for three days of holiday fun that benefits the patients, students and programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Held annually on Thanksgiving weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, and now in its 34th year, Festival of Trees has become an eagerly anticipated holiday tradition for families throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Before the pandemic, Festival of Trees regularly welcomed more than 50,000 attendees a year. During the height of the pandemic, the Festival was held virtually, so attendees could enjoy the event from home. In 2022, we welcomed attendees back to the Fairgrounds for our first in-person Festival in three years. Since it began in 1990, the event has welcomed more than one million visitors!
The Festival of Trees is planned and implemented by more than 1,000 community volunteers and staff members who give generously of their time and talent.
The focal point of the event is the display and sale of hundreds of one-of-a-kind designer-decorated holiday trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses created by local businesses, individuals, schools and community groups.
Adding to the fun are dozens of seasonal vendors, an elaborate working train display, an online auction, family entertainment, children’s activities, free visits with Santa and more!
Festival of Trees benefits the more than 27,000 children, adolescents and adults served by Kennedy Krieger each year by raising funds for patient care, education and research. The Institute specializes in treating individuals with disorders, diseases and injuries that impact the nervous system, and funds raised by the Festival—more than $26 million since its inception—help to further that work.
Festival of Trees Highlights Video
Watch the holiday magic in this highlights video from the 2018 Festival of Trees.