Decorated Christmas trees, a Grinch-themed kids' morning, and a cocktail-attire dinner dance are all part of Anderson Free Clinic's fifth annual Festival of Trees, running Wednesday, Nov. 18 through Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. The four-day fundraiser helps keep the lights on at a clinic that provides free medical, vision, nutrition and mental health care to uninsured adults across Anderson County.
The festival raises funds for free health care for uninsured people in Anderson County, according to WYFF, which reports that festival proceeds go directly to patient care at the clinic. Kevin Pickens, who works in resource development for Anderson Free Clinic, told the station the clinic serves Anderson County residents ages 16 to 64 with free medical, vision, nutrition and mental health care, and that it has served the county since 1984. Clinic staff rely on festival donations and volunteers to keep the clinic's doors open, per the same report.
The clinic's own event listing confirms the festival will take place at Bleckley Station, 301 S. Murray Ave. in Anderson, with Anderson Free Clinic stating plainly that “all proceeds directly support patient care at Anderson Free Clinic.” Community members decorate the festival's signature trees, which are later auctioned off, while the clinic provides trees for future decorators to adorn with their own donated decorations, according to WYFF.
A Week Of Events, From Sneak Peeks To A Formal Dinner Dance
The celebration opens with a free Festival Sneak Peek on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring tree tours, performances by local schoolchildren, the Santa Shop and a vendor market, per WYFF. That evening, Nov. 18 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., grown-ups can attend Sip & Spruce Girls' Night, which includes holiday door-hanger painting, charcuterie and drinks.
On Nov. 19, the Holiday Luncheon & Fashion Show runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and features a fashion show by Dillard's. Tickets, available through the clinic's website, cost $45 per person or $320 for a table of eight, according to Anderson Free Clinic. The following night, Nov. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m., The Tree'mendous Party calls for cocktail attire and includes dinner, an open bar and dancing, WYFF reports.
The festival closes Nov. 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. with Goodies with the Grinch, a family morning of stories, crafts and a visit from the Grinch himself. Admission runs $10 per person, including adults, while children under 2 get in free, per the clinic's listing. Meghan Churchill, a teacher at Nevitt Forest Elementary School who has organized Goodies with the Grinch for five years, told WYFF the event brings “a little bit of that Whoville whimsy.”
Classroom Collections And Clinic Training Tie Into The Mission
Churchill's students at Nevitt Forest Elementary collect canned and dry goods for the clinic's wellness initiative as part of the broader community effort, according to WYFF's reporting. She said community resources matter to her students' families and that community support begins with small actions. The wellness initiative gives patients and families year-round free access to healthy food, including produce from the clinic's hydroponic farms, along with cooking classes and recipes, per the same report.
Festival ticket purchases also allow the clinic to train medical students, WYFF reports. One medical student volunteer, who works at the clinic every other Thursday, said clinical work teaches lessons a classroom cannot, and that understanding each patient helps her create accessible and attainable treatment plans.
Who Qualifies For Free Care At The Clinic
Beyond the festival, Anderson Free Clinic lays out its eligibility rules for new patients on its website: applicants must be adult residents of Anderson County, have no insurance of any kind, including Medicare, Medicaid or private coverage, and meet low-income guidelines set at 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. The clinic also notes that its onsite pharmacy does not carry controlled substances and fills prescriptions only for patients seen at the clinic or by a clinic referral doctor.
Onsite adult medical services include sick visits, ongoing treatment of chronic conditions and flu vaccinations, according to the clinic's website. Anderson Free Clinic's Executive Director Tammie Collins told the Anderson Observer the festival typically raises between $50,000 and $80,000 a year, with sponsors covering event costs so that proceeds from tickets, trees, wreaths and the silent auction flow back into clinic programs.
