The Chadron Garden Club is this year’s winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Chadron Festival of Trees, which is wrapping up its month-long run in the Dawes County Courthouse.
The award comes with a traveling trophy the club gets to keep for the next year.
The Garden Club’s sunflower-themed entry was dedicated to Ukraine.
The sunflower is the country’s national flower and has become a symbol of resistance, hope and unity as Ukraine continues to fight a war against Russia.
The tree, which also featured decorations representing the country’s flag, went up not long after a refugee family from Ukraine settled in Chadron with the help of a local support group.
Festival of Trees organizer and Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp says while the Garden Club tree was beautiful, so were all 31 entered this year.
Rempp thanks all the businesses and organizations who nearly doubled the number of trees up this year, adding that it’s left her excited to see the event continue to grow next year.
The annual Festival of Trees was part of A Country Christmas in Northwest Nebraska, a coalition of November and December events in the region focused on holiday festivities and shopping.