Akron Children’s 44th Holiday Tree Festival set to sparkle Nov. 15 to 23

10-21-2025 (Akron, Ohio)

Akron Children’s 44^th annual Holiday Tree Festival is set for Nov. 15 to 23, promising 9 days of beautifully-decorated themed trees, sparkling lights, seasonal entertainment and holiday cheer.

The free event, a beloved tradition for many Northeast Ohio families, raises money for the hospital through the sale of the trees, wreaths and holiday décor.

Presented by the volunteers of Akron Children’s, the festival will be held at the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill Street in downtown Akron.

This year’s festival will feature 153 decorated trees, 70 wreaths and 172 holiday gifts for purchase. The selection of trees is sure to surprise and delight, running the gamut from ever-classic themes featuring candy canes, snowmen and woodland animals to those tying in with popular culture icons like Barbie, Charlie Brown, The Golden Girls and the musical Wicked.

Santa Claus will be on hand, and several dozen choirs, orchestras and instrumentalists will perform holiday favorites throughout the festival.

“We love keeping this a free event for community,” said Susan Berk, event chair. “That’s made possible because of the dedication of our sponsors, decorators and hundreds of volunteers. We encourage you to get caught up in the magic of seeing the elegant trees with shiny ornaments, the charming ones created by school children and scout troops and the ones that touch our heart because of the stories behind them.”

The Holiday Tree Festival is Akron Children’s single biggest fundraising event. Since its beginning, the festival has raised over $7.6 million to benefit the continued efforts of medical research, education and patient care programs at Akron Children’s.

Hours for this year’s festival are:

• Saturday, Nov. 15: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 16: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 17: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 18: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 19: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 20: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 21: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 22: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 23: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The preview gala, featuring a cocktail hour, dinner, a dessert buffet, and silent auction of the trees, is Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. For reservations, call 330-543-8424 by Nov. 1.

The festival ribbon cutting is Saturday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. and the popular Breakfasts with Santa are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 15 and 22. Registration for the breakfasts is now online.

 For more information, visit: akronchildrens.org/treefestival