40 Years of Holiday Festival Magic

Written by Nancy Sokoler Steiner | Photographed by Wendy Saade

In 1984 the first Festival of Trees—then a four-day event—was held in Torrance Memorial’s underground garage and raised $10,000 from auctioned trees. Flash-forward to the present, and the hospital’s Holiday Festival has grown into a six-day event with gorgeous trees, unique holiday finds and talented performances.

The event has raised nearly $40 million to support Torrance Memorial since its inception. Co-chair Carolyn Snyder, who has been involved with Torrance Memorial’s Holiday Festival for 39 years, has been instrumental in working with the Foundation team to bring this event to life every year.

Much like Santa’s workshop, the Holiday Festival has elves, in the form of dedicated volunteers who work year-round to craft, design and plan tree-themed ornaments, decorations and other delights. Festival Boutique volunteers work directly with Bev George, co-chair of the Holiday Festival since 2011, who has extensive career experience—from crafting to accounting—and trade show expertise in demonstrating, marketing, purchasing, pricing and selling products.

While the Holiday Festival tent is magical, it takes a village to create it. Lisa Takata, Torrance Memorial Foundation special events and Patrons program manager, and her team have the multilevel planning that goes into turning the venue into different events each day—including installation and teardown of the tent—down to a science. Lighting and sound need to be changed daily as well.

“It can get challenging,” says Lisa, “but it’s very rewarding to be a part of creating the holiday magic.”

Family time is a big part of the festival. Parents watch children perform in musical groups. Grandchildren hold their grandparents’ hands and walk (or race) around the winter wonderland. And volunteers often work with family members.

The Holiday Festival is an important tradition at Torrance Memorial and a true cornerstone in fundraising efforts. This signature event is vital in helping Torrance achieve high-quality medical services for all residents of the South Bay. All proceeds from the 2023 event supported the Lundquist Leach Emergency Department.