Island Park celebrates second annual Festival of Trees
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ISLAND PARK – Are you looking for a magical start to the holiday season? Mountain Life Charitable Foundation’s second annual Festival of Trees Nov. 29 & 30 at Sawtelle Mountain Resort is a great reason to head for the hills.
According to Patty Bithell, president and founder of Mountain Life Charitable Foundation, this year’s festival showcases 16 beautifully decorated Christmas trees and a variety of silent auction items, such as wreaths, gift baskets, and treats donated by local businesses and community members.
Funds raised from the event will go into an emergency fund to benefit local families in need, from Island Park to West Yellowstone. The long-term goal is to build a community park.
“Last year, we raised $17,000, which went to support our local charter school and individuals with medical needs,” said Bithell. “This year, we’ve set an ambitious goal to raise $35,000. We want as many people as possible to enjoy the Festival of Trees and crush last year’s number.”
Friday’s activities from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. include craft activities for kids and adults, a campfire and hot chocolate, a visit from Santa Claus, and browsing through the array of Christmas trees. Admission is $5 per child and $10 per adult, to be paid at the door.
The event’s finale is the Festive Gala on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The gala includes dinner and drinks, live music, photo opportunities, live and online auctions, and a silent auction. Tickets for the gala are $75 per person. Details and advance Festive Gala tickets can be purchased here.
Bithell credits Sawtelle Mountain Resort for sponsoring the Festival of Trees and for providing discounted room rates with promo code “Tree24” the week of the festival.
The Festival of Trees is just one of many events the Mountain Life Charitable Foundation puts on throughout the year.
Bithell, an Island Park realtor and owner/manager of Yellowstone Rental Cabins, started the foundation with a group of volunteers in March of 2023, saying, “The winters in Island Park are long. We’re a small community, and we need things to do. Our main purpose for this charity is to help our community members.”
“The local pastor recently lost his home to a fire and then totaled his car the next day. We were able to help him financially as well as other community members facing hardships.”
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The Festival of Trees is also a starting point for the Mountain Life Charitable Foundation’s Snowmobile Raffle and Snowmobile Fun Run on Jan. 25. Attendees will have the chance to win an 850 Ski-Doo, with raffle tickets available for purchase during the event.
“Since starting the charity, we got our gaming license that lets us hold Bingo for money payouts in Island Park. The max for raffle prizes without the license is $5k. There’s no limit for us now. That is why we are able to give away a snowmobile,” said Bithell.
Bingo will be held on Friday from 7 p.m. 9 p.m. at Lodgepole Grill at 3907 Phillip Loop Road in Island Park for some added fun in conjunction with the Festival of Trees. For more information, call: (208) 558-9379.
“Bringing the community together and helping each other in a time of need is important to me and the charity. Luckily, we have good people around here who like to help,” said Bithell.
Applications for assistance and all disclosures are available on the website.
