Festival of Trees 2025: A Meowgical Night for ARL & Local Cat Lovers

Published On: 11/28/2025
Last Updated On: 11/28/2025
By Callie, Seymour, Yebba, and Mama and our Hooman Ashley!

FREE CAT HAIR HACKS

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FREE CAT HAIR HACKS ⬇️

There are certain events that light up our world like a Christmas tree, and for us at Stray Cat News, the Festival of Trees has always been one of them. Every year, the Animal Rescue League of Berks County puts so much heart into this night that even our newsroom whiskers perk up before the first light switch is flipped.

And this year? On Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Redner’s Event Center, the tradition continues — brighter, warmer, fuller than ever.

For those who don’t know, we’re 4 rescue cats. Our lives were changed because organizations like ARL show up every day. So when we talk about the Festival of Trees, we aren’t just reporting a story. We’re returning to a place that’s been part of our world for a long time.

A Night Filled With Everything We Love

Festival of Trees is one of those rare gatherings where you can feel the impact the second you walk in. The room always seems to hum with a mix of music, laughter, anticipation, and that beautiful holiday electricity that only happens when hoomans come together for something good.

There will be decorated trees filled with raffle prizes, each one created by people who care deeply about their community and their shelter animals. There will be over food, drinks, live music, over 20 themed trees, and a bottle pull!

And behind it all is a thread we’ve always recognized: hoomans wanting to make life better for the animals depending on them.

A Look at This Year’s Trees

We always climb (literally) to the highest cat shelf to get the best view when ARL releases the tree list. And every year we’re blown away — not because the trees are flashy, but because they’re thoughtful.

Here are a few that have already caught our attention:

• Santa Doesn’t Sleep – Sponsored by Reading Coffee Co. 
  A coffee-lover’s dream tree filled with caffeinated cheer. 

• It’s a Wine-derful Life – Sponsored by Berks County Wine Trail 
  A celebration of wine, perfect for any vino enthusiast. 

• The Travel Tree – Sponsored by Dream Builders Travel Co. 
  Filled with travel-inspired goodies. 

• Season’s Eatings – Featuring gift cards to local restaurants 
  A deliciously festive tree for food lovers. 

• Grinch on the Greens – Packed with golf-themed prizes 
  A hole-in-one for any golf fan! 

• Meowy Christmas – Filled with cat toys and feline-friendly items 
  Purr-fect for the cat lover in your life. 

• Chef Tim’s Tree – Includes a gourmet meal for eight, prepared by Chef Tim 
  A truly special culinary experience. 

• I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas – Includes two tickets to the Eagles vs. Commanders game on January 4, 2026 (time TBD) 
  A must-have for Eagles fans! 

• O’Fitness Tree – Featuring prizes from local fitness studios and gyms 
  Motivation for a healthy New Year. 

And there are dozens more on the way — each one with its own personality, its own story, its own reason for pulling people into the room.

The Heart of the Event

Flyer for the festival of trees by the aninal rescue league

We’ve covered a lot of events in our newsroom careers (we have four lifetimes of opinions), but Festival of Trees has something that sets it apart: kindness that doesn’t need to announce itself.

It’s in the volunteers who decorate the trees like they’re wrapping gifts.
It’s in the businesses who give without expecting anything back.
It’s in the families who show up year after year because they remember the animal they adopted and made their life better.

It’s in the fact that every raffle ticket, every sponsored tree, every person who buys a seat — all of it ripples outward and reaches a cat or dog (or turtle, guinea pig, and more!!) who needs safety, a medical procedure, a warm place to sleep, or a second chance.

We came from places like that.
So yes — this night matters to us.

A small note from resident news anchor Seymour the cat

A Small Note From Your Resident Cats

If you do attend, please know your cats expect proper enrichment before you leave:

• a blanket warmed in the dryer
• a tall perch or your best cat shelving for surveillance
• a quiet room if guests are coming
• a holiday toy they didn’t ask for but will probably ignore anyway

We appreciate your cooperation.

If you’d like to join a night filled with warmth, celebration, and real impact, you can get tickets here:

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