Christmas Tree Festivals

Pitch Charges

Pitch charges vary from £5 to £30, and in some circumstances even more depending on what is included. Some churches have a flat fee, but others have a different charge for charities compared to businesses. If you are providing real trees in the price, you may find that local nurseries can sometimes give you a good deal for buying a large number of trees. If the money is going to a local good cause, then people are more willing to pay to decorate one. Look through the CTF website at individual Festivals, and you will see various options and different amounts of monies raised. Whatever you decide, make sure to consider what else is going on in your area or Church at the same time. It is also generally an expensive time of year for people, and some might be put off visiting because of the charges [especially if they are relying on your local foodbank for help]. On the other hand, it is also a good time for raising money as people are generous at Christmas. There are so many options, so do carefully consider what is best for your congregation and your area and who you are trying to attract to see the trees e.g. people with money, people who have a need, people who would like somewhere to go etc.

There are different types of Christmas Tree Festivals, so it is worth visiting a few to see some of the options. Look at the website to see where they are in your area. Often Festival organisers visit other Christmas Tree Festivals and spend a lot of time doing research. It is a good idea to decide what the aims of your Festival are at the very beginning, which some consider very valuable in ensuring focus on what they want to do.