Festival of Trees Brightens Courthouse, Adds Cheer

The Grant County courthouse is festively decorated for the Christmas season during the 28th annual presentation of the Festival of Trees. Twenty-three beautiful Christmas trees fill all the levels of the courthouse. The trees displayed have been put up by local businesses and organizations.

Organizations that have trees on display are 1st Choice Real Estate, Big Stone American Legion Auxiliary, Big Stone City Bookends Cancer Walk Team, Building Our Families, Catholic Daughters, Educators Rising, Grant County 4-H Junior Leaders, Grant County Community Health, Grant County Public Library, Junior Busy Bees 4-H Club, Kountry Kids 4-H Club, Milbank American Legion Auxiliary, Milbank Area Retired Teachers Association, Milbank Girl Scouts, Milbank Kiwanis, Northern Lights 4-H Club, Right to Life, Saddle Pals 4-H Club, Stateline 4-H Club, Stockholm and Strandburg American Legion Auxiliary, VFW Auxiliary, Young Explorers 4-H Club, and Valley Queen.

“The purpose of Festival of Trees is for community businesses and organizations to showcase the opportunities they provide and/or collect items for local charities,” said Sara Koepke, Grant County 4-H advisor. There are several organizations collecting donations for the holiday season to spread cheer local-, county-, state-, and nation-wide. Those who stop by the courthouse to see the trees can contribute if they wish by donating the following items at the respective trees. Junior Busy Bees 4-H Club, new and used coats, hats, and clothing for orphan grain train; Kountry Kids 4-H Club, games for the local nursing homes; Northern Lights 4-H Club, personal items to be donated to ICAP; Stateline 4-H Club, pet items for Big Stone Animal Rescue; Saddle Pals 4-H Club, personal items to be donated to the Beacon Center; Young Explorers 4-H Club, hats, mittens, and scarves for ICAP; Grant County Jr. Leaders, gently used jeans as part of the Jeans for Teens campaign, and Educators Rising, school supplies for Koch Elementary.

Again this year, those who view the trees are invited to vote for the favorite to receive the people’s choice award. The sponsoring organizations of the top three vote-getting trees will receive prizes. Voting is open now and will conclude on Thursday, January 2. Voting slips are available on first and second floors. The trees will remain up until Friday, January 3.