Festival of Trees Returns to Marathon, Raises Funds for Women and Children
The Zonta Club of Marathon is hosting its annual Festival of Trees now through Dec. 7 at the Marathon Garden Club, showcasing decorated trees by local organizations and businesses with free admission for the public. The display offers on site bidding and raffle options to purchase trees, and proceeds support Zonta community grants and projects for women and children, making the event a civic fundraiser as well as a holiday attraction.
The Festival of Trees opened on Dec. 2 and continues through Dec. 7 at the Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Highway. The public can view dozens of decorated trees created by local organizations and businesses at no charge, and may place bids on trees in person or enter raffles to win selections. Organizers have scheduled a gala and raffle evening as a centerpiece fundraising event, with a final drawing for tree winners near the close of the festival.
Family activities are integrated into the schedule, including a morning with cookies and visits from Santa and the Grinch, providing a low cost outing for households with children. For local families, the event combines seasonal entertainment with an opportunity to support community services that target women and children. For participating businesses and civic groups, the display functions as community outreach and seasonal promotion, drawing foot traffic to the Marathon Garden Club and surrounding businesses.
The Festival is a long standing fundraiser for the Zonta Club of Marathon. Proceeds are earmarked for community grants and projects that provide direct support to women and children in Monroe County. That local focus makes the event part of a broader ecosystem of small scale charitable fundraising that supplies flexible funding for neighborhood needs. For donors and bidders, the combination of visible displays and raffle mechanisms reduces barriers to participation while creating immediate outcomes in the form of tree winners and near term grant funding.
Economically, events like the Festival of Trees have a modest multiplier effect by bringing residents and visitors into town centers during the holiday season. The showcase offers marketing value for contributing businesses, and the gala evening concentrates philanthropic activity into a single night that can amplify donation totals. For local nonprofit planning, the festival demonstrates how in person events still play a vital role in revenue diversification even as many organizations explore digital giving methods.
The festival remains open through Dec. 7. Admission is free and members of the community are invited to attend, bid, or enter raffles to support Zonta Club of Marathon projects for women and children.
