A charitable custom holiday tree and wreath event

Village Green held its second year of holding the Wreath and Tree Festival that raises proceeds for a local charity.

By Joshua Solorzano • December 17, 2025 9:18 am

Tags: Seniors

Following a successful first year, Village Green brought back its Holiday Wreath and Tree Festival and hopes to continue the tradition.

Village Green, a retirement community, held its first annual Holiday Wreath and Tree Festival event during the 2024 holiday season to raise funds for the Federal Way Senior Center. After the first event was a success, receiving in total 30 trees and wreaths, and raising around $2,000, Village Green brought back the event, with funds going towards the Federal Way Community Caregiving Network.

The Federal Way Community Caregiving Network is a nonprofit that provides assistance with rent, gas vouchers, and bus tickets and hosts community meals. The Federal Way Community Caregiving Network also holds a supper outreach, where it distributes items such as clothes, hygiene products, socks, blankets, tarps and jackets.

Village Green Executive Director Esther Haven said the Holiday Wreath and Tree Festival runs for about a month, during which individuals and businesses can donate a pre-decorated artificial tree or wreath to Village Green.

Haven said it’s preferred if the trees are on the smaller side, but the only rule is that the trees and wreaths have to be artificial. Apart from that, they can be decorated however participants like. Haven said the maintenance department did a mancave-tree with footballs, Cheetos, and small tool ornaments. She said the dining department did a Mario Kart-themed tree, and last year there was a very popular tree that was pink-themed, featuring glitter and gems.

Haven said the public can visit Village Green at any time when the event starts to place bids on the decorations, and Village Green hosts a party with snacks and drinks on the last day of bidding. Haven said at the party, people can place their final bids before winners receive their decoration the following day.

This year’s Holiday Wreath and Tree Festival party is a cocktail hour and open house on Dec. 17. The event takes place at Village Green’s Fairfield location, 35451 First Avenue South, Federal Way.

According to Haven, the excitement and funding generated by the first-year event led Village Green to bring it back, and it hopes to continue it for years to come. Haven said Village Green decided to start the event because Village Green is known for its events and wanted to host a winter event that could become a tradition.

Haven said that, in addition to raising funds for the Federal Way community, seniors who live at Village Green enjoy the event. Haven said that is why Village Green asked for the donated trees to be on the smaller side, because the residents’ apartments are not very large. She said the festival is a win-win because seniors get to bid for the chance to win a fun tree to put in their apartment, and the proceeds go to a local charity.

“The residents look forward to it. We have a lot of residents that are creative and that love holidays, so they have fun doing the creation of the trees to donate,” Haven said. “And we also have people that don’t have interest in decorating or donating anything, but they look forward to the bidding part because of a lot of them don’t necessarily have the means to go shopping everywhere all the time.”