Trees and Lights from Around the World Spreading Joy in Urbana

If you’ve been to downtown Urbana this month, you’ve no doubt noticed the holiday decorations that enliven so many businesses. This is the third year of the Trees and Lights from Around the World project, initiated by We Love Urbana and headed by Kanittha Fay.

“We Love Urbana is a grassroots social innovation pilot program designed to bring together residents, businesses, government and nonprofit organizations to collaborate on projects that might not otherwise be possible,” Fay said. “This initiative began in 2021 after the pandemic. When the Urbana Small Business Association closed, we realized our small business owners could use additional support to help sustain and grow their businesses. Other projects include Lunar New Year Festival, #TeachForUrbana and more.”

Chambanamoms asked Fay a few questions about the program, her involvement and how you can get involved.

Q: How long have you lived in Urbana? What brought you to this community?

Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, I came to the University of Illinois to study English as a foreign language in 1997. I enjoyed the University of Illinois and decided to pursue a Master of Sciences in Business Administration from GIES College of Business. I lived on campus my first five years and moved to Urbana in 2002.

Q: You’re also a Chambana mom — can you tell us a little bit about your family?

Our blended family was established in 2010 when my 4-year-old daughter said to my best friend, Steve Fay, ‘You should ask my mom to marry you.’ Since then, we’ve operated as a team with Myra as our captain. Steve, who retired from the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012, has been Myra’s left-hand person — also known as a Chambanadad — while managing our rental homes.

My work as a business manager for a private certified housing unit at the University of Illinois gave me 25 years of experience working with students and allowed me to volunteer heavily on and off campus for various projects.

Myra is now a junior in Urban Planning at Illinois. It’s interesting that our paths have crossed often, and we repeatedly find ourselves in the same Zoom meetings or email threads while representing different organizations. After I retired in May 2024, I’ve had the opportunity to travel and meet with leaders from national organizations like When We All Vote and Civic Nation, which have broadened my horizons.

Q: How did the Trees and Lights initiative get off the ground in 2022? Where did the idea come from?

My husband and I visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and we thought it would be amazing to bring an immersive holiday experience to our community. Downtown Urbana seemed like the perfect place because of its diverse and welcoming business owners.

Q: There are lots of ways you can theme trees during the holidays. Why did you decide to focus on trees and lights from around the world?

When I look around our community, I see beautiful people from diverse cultures. I thought this would be a meaningful way for folks to express themselves and for the community to come together. Many community members donate decorations for the trees, which adds a collaborative spirit to the initiative.

Q: What are your expectations of the businesses that participate? Who provides the trees and decorations? What is the budget for this project? Are there sponsors?

We ask each business to contribute in their own way, whether big or small. Each store provides its own trees and decorations. In the first year, we relied solely on community donations. During the second year, the City of Urbana and We Love Urbana each sponsored one window art display at the Cohen Building and Encanto. Some businesses, such as Bohemia, Heel to Toe, Enchantment Alley and H2O Salon covered their own costs. This year the City of Urbana and the Urbana Park District are sponsoring some window art, and we’re hoping to secure additional sponsors. Bohemia, Heel to Toe and H2O Salon continue to feature their beautiful window art.

Q: Why do you think the program has grown significantly (from six businesses initially to 20 this year)? What do you hope for this initiative to do in the future? Do you ever see this expanding beyond Urbana?

The program has grown because it brings joy and fosters a sense of belonging. We hope this initiative will continue to provide a space for community members to feel connected and accepted. While we’d love to inspire other communities to start similar projects, for now, our focus remains right here in Urbana.

Q: What feedback have you received about the program from residents?

We’ve witnessed pride from business owners and joy from visitors. Many people enjoy walking through the displays, learning about different cultures, and appreciating the creativity.

Q: How can others get involved with this effort?

People can reach out to us through social media or email us at weloveurbana@gmail.com.

Q: I know it’s probably hard for you to pick favorites but what are your favorite trees and why?

I love them all. However, as an immigrant from Thailand, seeing the Thai tree at Siam Terrace in 2022 was deeply moving and I cried. It was the first time I felt a tangible sense of belonging in this country although I have lived here more than two decades.

Q: You mentioned We Love Urbana is a pilot social innovation program. Do you have any plans to make it more formal?

Great question! We Love Urbana is incorporated under Well City, LLC, and works with civic-minded organizations to develop community-driven programs. One of our key initiatives is #TeachForUrbana, a card offering special deals from local businesses to educators, staff and volunteers in Urbana. In return, the school community supports local businesses and builds lasting connections.

For the past four years, our services to small businesses, schools and organizations have been free of charge, and we plan to continue offering certain services that way as part of our commitment to giving back to the community. However, in response to special requests outside our traditional offerings, we’ve begun providing additional services — such as marketing and video production — for a fee, for the City of Urbana and small businesses. These “civically micro” projects, with community support, could have a big impact.

We’re small but always open to new ideas to strengthen our community and hope some of our initiatives can be adopted elsewhere. Recently we were informed that the Rantoul School District reached out to inquire about the #TeachForUrbana card. That mde us very happy.

Looking for more? Subscribe to our Holiday Newsletter. Want more ideas for holiday (or everyday) fun? Check out our Events Calendar.

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