The 30th annual Quad City Arts Festival of Trees is up and running at the River Center, with around 60 trees on display, along with various other exhibits for families to enjoy.
The trees are donated and decorated by the community. Some are sponsored my companies, others are decorated individually.
Along with the trees, the festival features a Gingerbread Village, a Festival Express train, gift shop, and art exhibit.
The Gingerbread Village features dozens of gingerbread houses made locally. There are four categories: youth, amateur, adult, and professional. They are all for sale and vary in price.
The High School Art Exhibit showcases local high school students' artwork. pieces include 2D and 3D paintings, sketches, photographs, sculptures, pottery, and collages. Each year there is one piece chosen as the winner and is displayed in the window of the Quad City Arts in Rock Island for their spring High School Art Exhibit.
The Festival of Trees is a fundraiser for the Quad City Arts and raises more than $4 million for local arts, and has a $2.5 million impact on the community.
Over 100 thousand people attend the festival each year.