The Sugarplum Festival of Trees is a Christmas tree festival with refreshments and music entertainment. Proceeds go to the Dayton Children’s Medical Center.
2023 DATE: November 10-12, 2023
Location: Presidential Banquet Center
525 W Riverview Ave
Dayton, OH 45405
Website: https://www.childrensdayton.org/sugarplum23
****
This post documents my experience on November 20, 2010 when it was at a different location.
Now that festivals are sparse throughout the state of Ohio, a nearly 4 hour road trip (each way) to a festival rarely makes sense…even to me.
Therefore, when I was making plans to go to the Springboro Christmas Festival, I searched high and low for a second or third nearby festival to make the voyage seem a little less crazy.
That’s when I found out about the Sugarplum Festival of Trees in Kettering (south of Dayton).
Put on by the Dayton TWIGS (Terrific Women In Giving) with proceeds going to the Dayton Children’s Medical Center…
…the event took place at the Presidential Banquet Center…
…where rooms were conveniently divided so you could cut to the chase.
In the merchant room…
…tables were set up in normal festival fashion.
Most tables sold gifts related to kitchenware, home decor, children’s books, and jewelry…
…while some nice Christmas related goodies could also be purchased.
In the boutique…
…various donated items were tagged for the purchase…
…whether for the tree…
…the mantle…
…or even the belly.
In this room, the baked goods were my favorite part, as they had a fun assortment of holiday cookies, cupcakes and snack bags.
They even had some gingerbread bears on a stick!
Then there was the main festival room…
…where there were Christmas songs…
…refreshments…
…and even some items being raffled if you felt so inclined.
(I admit that I paused in front of the Oatmeal Creme Pies.)
It was this room, of course…
…where you found the trees (tall and table top)…
…which, along with wreaths and other decor, festival patrons could bid on.
Some of the more creative trees revolved around…
…dolls, Dr. Seuss…
…Candyland…
…and the dental followup.
One tree, titled “A House Divided”…
…even played on the rivalry of Michigan State and Ohio State.
I’m a little partial to the red side myself!