Tree for the show

By Lethbridge Herald on November 15, 2025.

Volunteers work diligently to set up Christmas trees in the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre Friday in preparation for the Stringam Christmas Festival of Trees that begins Sunday.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation’s Christmas Tree Festival will return Sunday for its 31st year, with a new location to give more people an opportunity to view the trees and take on other Christmas activities as well. 

The decorating process and the creation of the displays began Friday morning to get everything ready for the four-day festival starting on Sunday.

Last year, the Christmas Tree Festival welcomed more than 3,500 attendees and raised over $180,000 through the gala and auction, but with this year’s expanded programming and the larger venue, organizers anticipate an even greater impact.

Crystal Elliott, CEO of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, said Friday that Excite Lethbridge has allowed them to expand the festival in multiple ways, especially by allowing them to display the Christmas trees in the hallway of the Lethbridge Trade & Convention Centre. 

“We’re able to welcome more people, a wider audience, more host, more community programming, and different events. We have so much a greater overall impact,” said Elliott. 

She said the Christmas Tree Festival is an anchor fundraising for the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, and even though they have been doing it for 31 years, they continue to evolve.

“It brings our community together, it raises essential funds which allows us to fund equipment, programs and special projects for the Chinook. Regional Hospital and surrounding areas,” said Elliott. 

She said the support they received directly impacts everyone in the community, as everyone at some point or another in their lives visit the hospital. 

“In our previous venue we always anticipated that about 3,500 individuals were able to come through and see the trees and enjoy the magic of it. This year we’re hoping to be well over that,” said Elliott. 

She said this year they have 23 trees on display, a wreath and some special live auction items.

Holt Humphrey, vice-president of business development for Stringam Law, the title sponsor of the festival, said the event is very important to the firm and one that they continue to support because of the impact that it has on the community. 

“We tend to support hospital foundations in pretty much all our markets. We are the title sponsor here and in Grand Prairie,” said Humphrey.

Sidney Koppe, director of community engagement at Excite Lethbridge, said they are proud to host the 31st annual Stringam Christmas Festival of Trees at the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre. 

“This is such an honor to showcase our facility, showcase Glow Lethbridge, showcase all the other community events that happen at this time the year, and it is a great way to utilize our venue and bring our community members here and really start the holiday season,” said Koppe.