New Festival of Wreaths to showcase student art in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – A new holiday program in Springfield is giving student artists a chance to decorate wreaths to be displayed inside the Old State Capital.

The inaugural Festival of Wreaths, presented by Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will begin on Nov. 23 as part of expanded downtown holiday programming.

Wreaths will be on display through Dec 12 during the Old State Capitol’s normal winter hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and 1 - 5 p.m. Mondays.

The site will also be open until 7 p.m. on Saturdays during the downtown Holiday Walks.

“Helping the next generation see themselves as part of our community is vital, so we’re growing our programming to include youth opportunities when possible,” said DSI executive director Jay Shanle. “We can’t wait to explore the student creations lining the Old State Capitol, and hope the public will help support these organizations and future downtown programming through the wreath silent auction.”

Wreaths will be sold through a silent auction to raise funds for student organizations and for Downtown Springfield, Inc.

Additional cash prizes will also be awarded to People’s Choice-winning wreaths through social media voting.

Information about how to vote as well as the silent auction will be available during the festival, as well as on the DSI website and Facebook page closer to the event.

Limited wreath spots may still be available, so interested student organizations should contact Molly Harms at molly@downtownspringfield.org for details on how to submit.