When the Festival of Trees goes up in Riverside Park on Nov. 23, the trees will be shorter than in past years and will carry no ornaments. Each one is a live six-foot tree. Each sponsor decorates it with LED lights and nothing else, and every tree carries a uniform Chamber sign with a QR code for voting. The Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce has capped the display at 25 trees.
The wind along the Chagrin River caused these changes. The park sits downtown next to the river, and over the past two winters, storms there kept sending the old display's ornaments across the lawn. The fix was a smaller, simpler display that stands up to the weather. The display's dates have also become the frame for the village's whole holiday season, from a shopping afternoon in mid-November to an orchestra concert two days before Christmas.
Two Feet Shorter, and No Ornaments
The Festival of Trees started in 2020. The Chamber presents it with the Chagrin Valley Jaycees. The Jaycees order and install the trees, Chamber members sponsor and decorate them, and the two groups split the proceeds. Chagrin Valley Today reported that the display replaced an earlier fundraiser in which miniature trees were auctioned in Township Hall.
In the same report, Chamber President Jessica Debeljak described what the weather had done to the display:
"While the tradition has been a wonderful success, the severe wind and winter storms over the past two seasons have definitely presented some weather-related challenges for the display."
She also told the paper the festival had become one of the main reasons people visit Chagrin Falls during the holidays. She mentioned engagement photos, family pictures, and one resident who sponsored a tree as a birthday gift.
The village Parks Commission raised the same concern from its side: ornaments were blowing around the park. In a follow-up story, Chagrin Valley Today reported that Debeljak had met with Jaycees President Gabe Franklin about the 25 trees. They decided to cut each tree from eight feet to six, which gives it a lower wind profile and makes it easier to anchor. Sponsors would use lights only, so there would be no loose ornaments to blow away. Debeljak explained the goal this way:
"We would be making those adjustments that would eliminate the concerns while still preserving the tradition that I think a lot of folks enjoy."
The village record shows the change happening in steps. On Oct. 27, 2025, Village Council approved last season's display, which ran Nov. 16, 2025, through Jan. 10, 2026. The minutes say the organizer had already banned ground signs, required decorations to be secured against the weather, and switched to smaller trees. This year's sponsor rules go further and leave nothing on a tree that the wind can carry off.
What the 2026 Display Looks Like Up Close
The Chamber's sponsor information sheet sets one standard for every tree in the park:
- Live trees, all six feet. The Jaycees put them up and take them down.
- Lights only. Loose ornaments, tinsel and other decorations are not allowed.
- Sponsor-supplied power. Each sponsor brings LED lights and an outdoor extension cord at least 50 feet long.
- Uniform signs. The Chamber provides each sign, with the sponsor's logo and a QR code for voting.
- $350 per tree, live tree included.
With ornaments gone, lights are the only way a sponsor can stand out, and that makes evening the best time to see the trees. The Chamber's event page suggests visitors "come during the day or visit at night to see the trees twinkle." Visitors vote for Best Decorated Tree by scanning the QR codes on site, with voting run by Opinions, Ltd. The winning sponsor gets a free banner ad on the Chamber's website for a year.
The Village of Chagrin Falls describes Riverside Park as a downtown green beside the Chagrin River, with a brick riverside path, a playground and a picnic shelter. That brick path is how you walk through the display.
The Dates the Rest of the Season Is Built Around
Decorating takes about a week, and the trees then stay lit in the park for about seven weeks. Sponsors decorate Nov. 15 through 22, the display opens Nov. 23, and it runs until Jan. 8, 2027. Sponsors take down their lights Jan. 3 through 8, and anything left on a tree is thrown away Jan. 9. Sponsor registration with the Chamber is open through Nov. 14.
Here is how the village's confirmed 2026 holiday events fit around those dates:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14, 1 to 6 p.m. | Chamber Sip & Shop | Downtown shops; check-in and prize drop at the Visitor's Center |
| Nov. 15 to 22 | Sponsors decorate the trees | Riverside Park |
| Mon., Nov. 23 | Festival of Trees display opens | Riverside Park |
| Fri., Nov. 27, 6 and 7 p.m. | Lighting of the Greens: Santa Parade, then Lighting Ceremony | Triangle Park |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 1 to 3 p.m. | Holiday Open House | Chagrin History Center, 87 East Washington Street |
| Tue. and Wed., Dec. 22 and 23, 7 p.m. | 21st Wassail Christmas Concert | Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, 40 River Street |
| Fri., Jan. 8, 2027 | Final day of the tree display | Riverside Park |
Sip & Shop Comes Before the Trees
The Chamber's Sip & Shop on Saturday, Nov. 14, is the season's first downtown event, and it lands on the last day of sponsor registration. Check-in runs 1 to 2 p.m. and shopping runs 2 to 6 p.m. Passports go in the grand-prize drop at the Visitor's Center by 6:30 p.m. A ticket includes a tasting cup, a deal passport, a swag bag, contests and prize giveaways, and late-registration pricing has applied since Oct. 31.
This year's charity partner is Bainbridge Food for Friends, and check-in will take canned goods. The participating shops are Blush Boutique, W Home Collection, Geiger's, Shed Boutique, Fireside Bookshop, Cascades Boutique, Inn of Chagrin, Toni in Style, The Spice and Tea Exchange, Remnants Bag Company, FIG Chagrin, The Hidden Closet, The Popcorn Shop, Hedges, The Olive Scene and Sanity, with Etalian as the restaurant stop. The Chamber says the list may grow.
Lighting of the Greens Starts in Triangle Park
Four days after the trees go up in Riverside Park, the Chagrin Valley Jaycees hold Lighting of the Greens in Triangle Park on Friday, Nov. 27. The Santa Parade starts at 6 p.m. and the Lighting Ceremony follows at 7. The same Jaycees crew installs the Riverside Park trees. When the Village Parks Commission approved the Jaycees' events, the minutes listed a 4 to 10 p.m. event window and closures of Triangle Park and North Franklin Street. Plan for that if you're driving downtown that evening.
Both downtown parks will be lit from then on, so one evening walk can take in the greens at Triangle Park and then the trees along the river.
December Moves Indoors
Two December events move the season indoors. Chagrin History Center holds its Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 87 East Washington Street. Later in the month, the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra plays its 21st annual Wassail Christmas Concert at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, 40 River Street, on Dec. 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. both nights. The concert features a 40-piece orchestra, guest vocalists and Santa, and tickets are $27 for adults and $24 for students.
Both concert nights fall while the Riverside Park trees are still lit, so you can see the display and the show on the same evening.
Why the Smaller Trees Matter
The redesign was meant to keep the Festival of Trees going without leaving a mess in the park. In the Chagrin Valley Today follow-up, Debeljak said she would check the Riverside display in person to make sure the trees stayed upright and in good condition. Shorter trees, no ornaments and a firm 25-tree limit should keep the display looking the same in the first week of January as it does the night after Thanksgiving. The Chamber's Riverside Park display runs from Nov. 23 through Jan. 8, 2027.
If a holiday evening downtown has you thinking about a home within reach of Triangle Park and Riverside Park, Adam Kaufman and his team know which streets and properties sit closest to the village center. Just Ask Adam.
