A place to celebrate the holidays and help kids in need

• Hosted at Eldorado Resort
• Partnership with Food for Thought
• Ticket sales go towards Backpack Program

Helping those in need and supporting local artisans during the holidays is at the heart of most markets over the holidays, and the Tree of Dreams Holiday Market is no different.

The event is a partnership between Eldorado Resort and Food for Thought to bring the community together for a festive event that supports a good cause.

“All we want for Christmas this year is to provide food security for kids in the central Okanagan,” Cheryl Hoffman, Program Director at Food for Thought told Kelowna10.

Her organization falls under the umbrella of Hope for the Nations, a group who assists children all over the world. Food for Thought was founded in Kelowna 28 years ago.

Event ticket sales go towards the Backpack Program to help children in the community without enough to eat.

“We send them home with a backpack full of nutrition … We know that hunger doesn’t take the weekend off, so we just really want to help these children,” Hoffman said.

The market is full of holiday fixings, with Christmas music playing as people walk around and drink hot chocolate and hot apple cider while perusing local vendors.

Fire pits keep everyone warm, and a large Christmas tree stands tall and bright.

“The Tree of Dreams is the perfect place for people to come and celebrate because of the look and feel of the resort, it’s a touch of history,” Samantha Sinotte, Director of Food and Beverage at Eldorado Resort explained.

Sinotte said the Christmas season helped bring together Food for Thought and Eldorado as partners for this safe outdoor event.

“When we sought out to find a local charity, we wanted it to be something focused on here in Kelowna and we wanted it to revolve around children,” she said.

The last night for the event is Dec. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m.