Festival of Trees Orlando 2026: What to Expect at the Orlando Museum of Art

The 40th annual Festival of Trees, themed “Forty Seasons of Joy,” returns to the Orlando Museum of Art from November 14 through November 22, 2026. Presented by the Council of 101, the event features designer-decorated trees, gingerbread houses, and live entertainment, with general admission tickets available through the Council’s Eventbrite page.

For the residents of Central Florida, the transition from late autumn to the holiday season has been marked for four decades by a specific transformation within the Orlando Museum of Art. Beginning November 14, the galleries in Loch Haven Park will trade their usual quietude for the vibrant displays of the Festival of Trees.

The Orlando Museum of Art is closed to general visitors from November 9 through November 13 while volunteers and designers install the holiday displays.

The Council of 101, a volunteer organization formed in 1965 to provide financial and administrative support to the museum, manages the event. This year’s theme, “Forty Seasons of Joy,” marks 40 years for the group.

The festival serves as one of the Council’s two primary annual fundraisers, alongside their spring event, Art in Bloom. For the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle, the Council announced a donation of $575,000, representing their largest annual contribution to the museum’s art education programs, facility maintenance, and exhibition funding.

Event Logistics and Ticketing Changes

Planning a visit this year requires noting a few procedural shifts. Unlike standard museum visits, all tickets for the festival—including general admission—are managed through the Council of 101’s organizer page on Eventbrite. One ticket grants access to both the festival galleries and the museum’s permanent exhibitions, such as Hello Sophie!: The Artwork of Sophie Blackall and The Wild Path.

Festival of Trees Orlando 2026: What to Expect at the Orlando Museum of Art — Photo: councilof101.org

Admission is $15 for seniors, active-duty and retired military, first responders, and teachers with valid identification. The Council of 101 notes that the festival is a cashless event, requiring visitors to utilize cards or mobile payment methods for purchases, including the $8 daily parking fee for the museum lot. For those relying on rideshare services, drop-offs are facilitated directly at the museum entrance.

Category	Price
Adults	$23
Children (3-12)	$15
Seniors (60+), Military, First Responders	$15

Festival Sales Subsidize Museum Scholarly Exhibits

Beyond the display of more than 50 designer-decorated trees, the festival functions as a community hub.

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By integrating high-traffic holiday programming with traditional art exhibitions, the museum maintains steady operational revenue during the year’s final quarter. The Council of 101’s approach—which includes the sale of decorated wreaths, gingerbread houses, and tabletop displays—directly subsidizes the museum’s ability to host scholarly exhibits that might otherwise be financially prohibitive.

The Council of 101 is a volunteer group of nearly 300 women, formed in 1965 to support OMA.

While the festival offers a festive atmosphere, it also necessitates a brief disruption to standard museum operations. General visitors should be aware that the museum closes early on Tuesday, November 17, at 2:30 p.m. to accommodate a private event.

The Future of the Festival

As the festival marks its 40th year, the organizers are placing a heavier emphasis on interactive experiences.

The long-term influence of the Council’s work is evident in the museum’s current capacity to host diverse collections. With over $15 million raised since the group’s inception, the Festival of Trees shows how volunteer-led initiatives can sustain cultural infrastructure during economic changes.

As the doors open on November 14, the focus remains on the balance between the museum’s role as a scholarly institution and its capacity to serve as a seasonal anchor for the Orlando community.