2026 Festival of Trees Volunteer Registration

Join us in volunteering at the

37th annual Festival of Trees!

Get into the spirit of the season while helping Kennedy Krieger Institute help others.

This year, Kennedy Krieger Institute is partnering with Break A Difference to recruit and coordinate all volunteers for Festival of Trees.

More than 500 volunteers are needed for all phases of the three-day event, including setup, the event itself and breakdown.

Volunteer Tasks BEFORE Festival of Trees:
November 19-24, 2026 (AM and PM Shifts Available)

Cleaning and preparing signage
Building tree groves
Tree assembly
Holiday decorating
Laying snow
And more!

Volunteer Tasks DURING Festival of Trees:
November 27, 28, and 29 2026

Greeting & directing attendees
Overseeing children’s games & activities
Collecting ride tickets
Helping Santa
And more!
(*These shifts are the most critical to fill.)

Volunteer Tasks AFTER Festival of Trees:
November 29 & 30, 2026

Breaking down event space
Tree packing
Inventory of event supplies
Distribution of trees and gingerbread houses
And more!

What type of volunteer are you?

In what Kennedy Krieger Institute department do you work?

Volunteer Information
Please complete this section for yourself or on behalf of a volunteer who is aged 16 or older. If you are part of a group of adults (aged 16+) volunteering together, each individual volunteer will need to complete a registration.
I'm registering an individual volunteer (aged 16 and older)
To register as an individual volunteer, you must be 16 years or older. If you or someone in your group is 15 or younger, please go back and select “I’m registering a family or group with children 15 and under.”
Volunteer's Name

First NameLast Name
Volunteer's Email
example@example.com
Volunteer's Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Emergency Contact Information
Emergency Contact Name

First NameLast Name
Emergency Contact Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
What is the relationship of the Emergency Contact to the volunteer?

Families or Groups with Children 15 and under

Groups with children under 15 years old must have at least one adult chaperone volunteering, with each adult able to supervise up to 5 children and staying on-site the entire time.
Does your group include children 15 or under?
We’re excited to welcome families and groups to volunteer together!Children 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult for the entire volunteer shift. Please list the names and ages of everyone in your group below.

If your group is made up of volunteers ages 16 and older only, please go back and select “I'm an individual volunteer (aged 16 and older; group participants each need to register individually)"
Please share the name and contact information of the group's point of contact (adult)
Please go back and select "I'm an individual volunteer (aged 16 and older; group participants each need to register individually)"
Adult's Name

First NameLast Name
Adult's Email
example@example.com
Adult's Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
How many people (other than yourself) are volunteering in your group? You may register up to 5 children (15 and younger) to volunteer with you. If you have more than 5 children in your group, another adult chaperone must register and share their names.
If you are registering more than 6 people in your group (yourself + 5 others), please have another adult complete the registration with the remaining children's names.
Please add group members' names, ages, and email addresses here. Only adult volunteers need to provide an email address.
Please add group members' names, ages, and email addresses here. Only adult volunteers need to provide an email address.
Please add group members' names, ages, and email addresses here. Only adult volunteers need to provide an email address.
Please add group members' names, ages, and email addresses here. Only adult volunteers need to provide an email address.
Please add group members' names, ages, and email addresses here. Only adult volunteers need to provide an email address.

Are you volunteering with a group or event sponsor?
With what group or organization are you affiliated?

Below are some examples of tasks volunteers may be assigned during each of the following shift groups. This does not represent all volunteer tasks, but should help you decide which volunteer shift group(s) interest you.
For what volunteer shifts are you interested in signing up? You may select more than one.
[Employee Volunteers] For what volunteer shifts are you interested in signing up? You may select more than one.

Which day(s) on Event Weekend do you want to volunteer?

Employee Volunteer Event Weekend Position Descriptions:

Role Name	Role Description
Set-Up Shifts	Help with Designer Days. Volunteer must be good with technology and problem solving - will be using an inventory software.
Sales Booth	Where attendees purchase trees, wreaths & gingerbread houses, volunteers will need to be comfortable working with technology (purchasing software), handling payment (cash & credit), standing and walking throughout the event to mark trees sold, and be comfortable with problem-solving. (Booth is “Bar Height”)
Info booth/Merch sales	Volunteers will answer questions regarding the event. A FAQ sheet is provided for the volunteer's reference. Volunteers will need to be enthusiastic to speak to the public. Sell Institute merchandise, Handles payment (cash & credit) (The booth is "bar height")
Raffle	Sell raffle tickets. Handles payment (cash & credit), extrovert, able to be social, able to be enthusiastic when talking with people, or pull people to the table, good at sales
Floater	Fill in for various volunteer roles as needed. Volunteers should be flexible and willing to help with a variety of tasks. Help cover for meal and rest breaks. Help "voice" with entertainment acts.
Voice	This volunteer will be the on-site contact for Entertainment acts during the event and will be responsible for making announcements through the overhead sound system as needed. They should be comfortable using a walkie-talkie/radio.

[Employees] Please pick 1 SETUP shift(s) - Saturday
[Employees] Please pick 1 SETUP shift(s) - Sunday
[Employees] Event Weekend - FRIDAY Nov 27 - Shift 1 - 7:30 am to 12 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - FRIDAY Nov 27 - Shift 2 - 11:30 am to 4 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - FRIDAY Nov 27 - Shift 3 - 3:30 to 7 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - SATURDAY Nov 28 - Shift 1 - 7:30 am to 11:30 am
[Employees] Event Weekend - SATURDAY Nov 28 - Shift 2 - 11 am to 3 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - SATURDAY Nov 28 - Shift 3 - 2 pm to 6 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - SATURDAY Nov 28 - Shift 4 - 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Ages 21+ Tinsel on Tap)
[Employees] Event Weekend - SUNDAY Nov 29 - Shift 1 - 7:30 am to 12 pm
[Employees] Event Weekend - SUNDAY Nov 29 - Shift 2 - 11:30 am to 4 pm
[EMPLOYEES] Please pick 1 or more BREAK DOWN shift(s) (Physical Tasks)

❗KKI EMPLOYEES: The following shifts are available to you if you cannot find an open Employee Volunteer Shift on the previous page. ⬇️All shifts below are open to the general public and to KKI Employees.
Please pick 1 or more SETUP shift(s)
Please pick 1 or more EVENT WEEKEND shift(s)
Please pick 1 or more BREAK DOWN shift(s) - (Physical Tasks)

Please submit your registration.
Should be Empty:

Volunteer Information

Emergency Contact Information

Families or Groups with Children 15 and under

Please share the name and contact information of the group's point of contact (adult)

Please submit your registration.