LAURENS, IA (Northwestiowanow) –The annual Festival of Trees returns for the 2025 holiday season this weekend, celebrating its 25th year.
Visitors can see themed Christmas trees, decorated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals in the community as they listen to Christmas music. Laurens Public Library Director Glenda Mulder says the tradition has been running since 2000 and continues to draw visitors each December.
Hosted at Laurens United Methodist Church at 201 W Main Street, the Festival of Trees is open every Saturday and Sunday in December from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. This year’s theme is Songs of the Season.
Special activities through the month include Christmas Stories with Tessa on Saturday, December 6 at 3:00 p.m., a performance by Mike Anderson, The Dulcimer Guy, on Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m., and the Candy Cane Lane Beef Burger Lunch on Saturday, December 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Anderson’s program features his character Hugo Kringle, Santa Claus’s younger brother, who sings secular holiday songs and shares stories about growing up with Santa—a program designed for kids eight and under.
Mulder says the event reaching this milestone is something the community should be proud of, and she encourages everyone to attend.
For more information, visit the Laurens Festival of Trees Facebook page.