Copyright Davenport Quad-City Times
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS Festival as community stage Sponsored content by The Cultural Trust There’s a certain kind of mom exhaustion you can’t explain, according to Jen Lewis-Snyder, CEO and president of The Cultural Trust. It’s the kind of exhaustion that lives between the backseat french fry graveyard and the voiceto-text message you courageously sent at a stoplight, grammar errors and tech mishearing be damned. With five kids ages 7 to 21 in a blended home, her family has covered every hobby known to humankind — from mushrooms, spores and mammals to theater, dance, art, singing, football and baseball. And every one of those interests comes with its moment. The one they practice for. The one the whole family calendar centers around. “After long days of work and longer nights living in my car as a taxi driver for my kids’ dreams, I’ve realized every parent becomes part coach, part cheerleader, part stagehand,” Lewis-Snyder said. “We spend our evenings chasing that pivotal performance — the big game, the big number, the big show — whatever it is that makes our kids light up and believe in themselves. Their hope becomes our hope and we do our best to give them everything we can to make their dreams become a reality.” Whatever the milestone, it’s in that moment — when the lights hit the stage and the audience claps louder than expected — that you realize the power of community performance. “Festival gives our children’s passion magnitude. It validates their hard work, our miles, their missed sleep, our car snacks, their shaky first solos, our silent and incredibly proud tears.” Because it all matters. Because culture matters here. For 40 years, Festival of Trees has given so many the courage to face their fears, prove they could do it, hear the roar of applause and keep going. But what about the literal platform that fosters and fuels those moments every year — like Festival of Trees — or the media that report them, like the QuadCity Times? And behind every performer, there’s a parent like Lewis-Snyder and her husband — tired, proud and endlessly grateful that this community still makes space for creativity to take the stage. Over the last 40 years, both have come together to celebrate the hard work of talented Quad Citizens of all ages. The festival, she said, has become the stage — not just for professional performers or well-trained choirs, but for thousands of local kids, families and volunteers who pour their hearts into a craft all year long so they can perform it on that renowned festival stage. Lewis-Snyder said she’s proud to serve as president and CEO of The Cultural Trust, the leader enriching art and culture for all Quad Citizens — ensuring that every child who steps onto that Festival stage has a place to shine, and that the applause keeps echoing for generations. “Every November, Festival transforms the RiverCenter into a living, breathing showcase of the Quad Cities’ creative heartbeat,” she said. “Students perform, choirs sing, dancers twirl — and somewhere, in the corner of the crowd, a parent exhales because they made it. Their child got there on time. Every note was hit, or maybe just survived the routine.” Coming tomorrow: The parade that took Festival of Trees to the streets Scan here or visit qcfestivaloftrees.com to learn more! 40 STORIES IN 40 DAYS
