It may be 80 degrees with no snow on the ground, but that isn’t stopping the Pocatello Festival of Trees from getting into the Christmas spirit early.

Santa Claus made the rounds to local businesses Tuesday, spreading holiday cheer and reminding the community that the annual Festival of Trees is still happening, despite rumors to the contrary.

The festival will run Nov. 19-21 at the Stephens Performing Arts Center. Committee member Shelly Jones said she wanted to put those rumors to rest, and figured there was no better way to do it than with a visit from Santa.

“There was some talk that the event wasn’t going to happen, so we wanted to let people know it’s still going to happen,” Jones said. “We still would love to have them be part of it.”

The festival is undergoing a change behind the scenes. Idaho State University has stepped back as an organizer, though it’s still allowing the event to use the Stephens Center space. That left the committee to start fresh, reaching out to past sponsors and seeking new ones to ensure the festival lives up to its reputation.

“Santa got a little hot, so we shut it down,” said Jones after the group handed out about 10 sponsor packets Tuesday morning. “We have most of them that have sponsored in the past. We just gave them a new packet and wanted to welcome them back.”

The committee is also testing a new approach to fundraising this year.

“This year we’re focusing our fundraising on just two recipients so we can see how much support we bring in,” Jones said. “Then we may expand to more recipients in the future.”

Despite the changes, Jones wants the Pocatello community to know the event itself won’t look any different.

“We just want the community to know that it’s still gonna look the same,” Jones said. “What most people don’t know is what’s changing. It’s who’s running it.”

Those interested in volunteering can contact the committee at pokyfestivaloftrees@gmail.com.