Now in its seventh year at CPI, the festival is expected to draw thousands of visitors to see the more than 60 trees on display. Sponsored by local organizations, the Christmas trees benefit CPI’s student groups and are later donated to community families who cannot afford one.

The Festival of Trees is part of the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas event weekend, which continues through Sunday.

“I think the Festival of Trees is a wonderful family event,” said CPI President MaryAnn Volders. “It’s affordable and a fun way to spend a few minutes supporting our student organizations while getting into the holiday spirit.”

Local organizations sponsoring a tree are given the opportunity to decorate it for visitors to enjoy. The money from those sponsorships supports CPI’s student chapters of the FFA; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America; National Technical Honor Society; SkillsUSA; and the National Association of Home Builders.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS A young attendee points in approval at one of the decorated trees.

Festival-goes can wander through the sparkling grove of decorated evergreens and vote for their favorite tree, with scavenger hunts for both children and adults adding to the fun.

“People absolutely love the scavenger hunt,” Festival of Trees Coordinator Theresa Brickley said.

She said attendees can also enjoy live entertainment, a basket raffle featuring prizes donated by local businesses and free face painting and hair tinsel courtesy of CPI’s cosmetology students.

Children attending the Festival of Trees are invited to write letters to Santa and meet him in person while his sleigh is in town. Santa will be at CPI on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. Kids’ crafts will be offered by the school’s early childhood development program during his visit.

The festival is also a great opportunity to buy holiday poinsettias and pick up last-minute gifts from the 22 craft vendors that have been invited.

HUNTER SMITH / THE EXPRESS Rachael Kuhlen and Danicka Krainer, of Centre Care, are pictured with their organization’s tree, which they decorated.

This year, CPI’s culinary students are raising funds by selling food to support a trip to Italy, which they will be embarking on in late December 2026.

According to Renee Owens, receptionist and former culinary assistant at CPI, students will visit Rome, Florence, Bologna and Assisi to see Italian art and visit historical sites, including the Vatican and Colosseum, take traditional italian cooking classes and participate in the “Three Kings Tour” where they will visit producers of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma ham and the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

CPI horticulture students will join the trip with their instructor, Curtis Runyan, alongside Chef Timothy Beckenbaugh’s culinary students, to explore Italy’s legendary gardens.

When the event concludes, most of the trees and their decorations are donated to Faith Centre, which distributes them to local families facing hardship.

Ahead of the festival on Thursday evening, The Express spoke with students from Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School as they decorated their tree. They opted to deck their tree with “ornaments” that the recipient family could enjoy after the festival, including hot chocolate packets, art supplies and other small goodies.

HUNTER SMITH / THE EXPRESS Members of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Boalsburg decorating their tree on Thursday evening at CPI.

“It’s things that you can have, instead of just using ornaments that can be recycled. People can actually use them and have them in their homes,” said YSCP student Kya Merhazion.

“We volunteered to decorate the tree as our community service project,” fellow student Reigan Golas told The Express. “Projects can be as little as posters around school, but we chose to decorate for people in need.”

Students Serenity Sawhney and Emma Porter said they made an entire evening of the project, getting pizza, playing with glitter and singing with their science teacher Sean Wang in the car.

“I really think it’s special that we get to come here with our teachers and help decorate a tree for the community,” Golas added.

“I think it’s amazing we get to help out,” Emma Porter said.

Eager to be the community’s favorite, the girls asked attendees to vote for their tree.

“Its just nice to have the community into the school and be partners with all of them, and share this with others,” said President Volders.

The Festival of Trees at CPI, 540 N. Harrison Road, Pleasant Gap, continues Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14, from noon to 4 p.m.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.

A free shuttle for Festival of Trees attendees will be available Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The shuttle will run hourly between the Bellefonte High School parking lot, the Jingle Bell Bazaar at Lambert Hall, Centre County Festival of Trees at CPI, the Titan Market for Christmas in Titan and the Centre County Courthouse, before returning to the high school.