The 24th annual Festival of Trees includes new events for women and young adults and expanded children’s activities to create holiday fun for every demographic this season.

The North Pole area has been expanded to include “Tiny Tot Land,” with age-specific activites for toddlers, and “Santa’s Bootcamp.”

“It’s kind of like a physical course that they complete with calisthenics and jumping and hula hoops and that kind of thing to help them wind down some energy,” said Deb McDaniel, the Festival of Trees director. “We’re hoping that they start out at Santa’s Bootcamp, release a little energy and then they’re a little calmer to go through the rest of the place.”

Santa’s Bootcamp was new last year and was much more popular than expected, McDaniel said. Tinsel Times, the Holly Hat Walk, Snow Bowl, Prancer Putt Putt and, of course, Santa Claus himself, will be back this year in addition to the new activities. But the North Pole will be rearranged to better handle the lines of children.

“Kids get a little bored just looking at pretty trees and we’ve always had a craft area for children that has been popular,” McDaniel said. “We just never realized the potential we would have by expanding it. And by expanding it, it exploded.”

Sizzlin’ Soiree

The ladies night out, Sizzlin’ Soiree, is also new this year. The Festival of Trees used to include a style show for women, but the costly event was scrapped when attendance dropped. But in recent years, interest in a women’s event grew, so the festival put together an event featuring female impersonator Amber Andrews, with Comedy Sportz for entertainment.

The glitzy event is already a success as McDaniel expects it to sell out this week.

Boot Scootin’ Holiday Hoedown

The casual country-themed dance on the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds is also a vintage festival event that was brought back this year to appeal to young adults and take advantage of the popularity of country music in the area.

McDaniel expects most people to buy their tickets at the door, but it has already sold several tickets to people in Iowa City, Peoria, Ill., and other regional cities.

“We added the country western holiday hoedown to provide another event for people who don’t want to go to the fancy, glitzy party and for college-aged people,” McDaniel said. “We expect that event to be very, very big.”

A guitar that is signed and decorated by Taylor Swift will be auctioned at the Boot Scootin’ Holiday Hoedown.

New this year

Other changes include a new location for the Jingle Jam. The dance for area teenagers will be held at the Q-C Waterfront Convention Center. The nature of the drug- and alcohol-free event also has changed over the years.

“Years ago, when that event was created, it used to kind of be more of a date night where guys and girls came as a couple,” McDaniel said. “In more recent years, it’s been more a group of girls and a group of guys and I think that’s because they’re coming to scout out the kids from the other schools.”

The annual parade also will feature a new balloon, a 50-foot soldier in a modern uniform called Hometown Hero. The balloon will replace Johnny Comes Marching Home, the balloon depicting a World War II soldier that was destroyed by the cold weather during last year’s parade.

“Every town has somebody they know who has made that sacrifice,” McDaniel said. “So everybody who sees that balloon will be able to recognize someone they know in that balloon.”

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