Bingham County Christmas Tree Fantasy creates lasting memories and displays one-of-a-kind trees
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BLACKFOOT — KayAnn Hayes has fond memories of when she was a little girl. She remembers her mother taking her to look at beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Blackfoot.
She always went to the Bingham County Christmas Tree Fantasy.
“My mom would take us when we were children. She loved the Fantasy,” Hayes said. “The Fantasy has been a part of my Christmas.”
When her mother passed away in 2014, Hayes remembers decorating a tree with school supplies and donating it to the event in her honor.
“She was a school teacher here in Blackfoot. It was sold and donated back to the school that she worked at for most of her career,” Hayes said.
She enjoys that special memory.
Currently, Hayes is the board chair for the Christmas Tree Fantasy and loves the event.
“It’s a tradition for sure. The Bingham County Christmas Tree Fantasy has been around since 1978,” she said.
Hayes said there are a total of 14 board members who are volunteers who help put on the event to share with the community.
“It includes the tree room. This year, we were able to double the amount of trees donated from last year. So we have 36 trees this year,” she told EastIdahoNews.com.
Event details
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, the trees will be on display at the Eastern Idaho State Fairgrounds inside the Needlecraft Building in Blackfoot. Click here for the hours.
The building becomes a winter wonderland for part of the week. There’s a cafe, a sweet shoppe with baked cookies, a boutique with homemade crafts, and a Santa breakfast.
Admission is $2 per person.
This year’s theme is “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”
There’s a Grinch tree, one from Willy Wonka, a tree that was welded out of aluminum by students, and a tree dedicated to honor Cpl. Albert Luce from the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office after he died in an accident.
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Each tree tells a different story, and each is unique. The trees have been donated by businesses and individuals.
“The tree room is my favorite. We dim the lights in the evening. To see those trees, it’s a pretty magical time,” Hayes said.
The highlight is the auction for the trees on Thursday at 7 p.m., where money is raised and donated back into the community.
“The whole week is just filled with the Christmas spirit and what Christmas really represents,” Hayes said.
She told EastIdahoNews.com it brings people from all over Bingham County who have supported the event year after year.
“We just draw from every part of our community: Aberdeen, Shelley, Firth, Snake River area, Riverside, Pingree, and Blackfoot,” Hayes said. “I just want to thank our community.”
She encourages anyone to come and make lasting memories with their families and friends.
“I think our hope for this year is that we have many new members in our community and that they would come out and see what it’s all about,” Hayes added.
