Win tickets to 2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting event

North Carolinians may want to enter a lottery for a chance to win free tickets to attend the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony outside the White House in Washington, D.C, on Thursday, Dec. 5.

 It’s a narrow window, however, so you need to act fast. The lottery, which is organized by the National Park Service (NPS), opens at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23 and closes at 3 p.m. on Oct. 30.

 

Call 1-877-444-6777 to enter the lottery. Or go online at recreation.gov and click on the “chat” option for instructions. There are some restrictions. Only one application is allowed per household, and a maximum of five tickets will be awarded. All attendees, regardless of age, are required to have a ticket. Lottery results will be announced on Nov. 8.

The big event takes place at The Ellipse in President’s Park South, a 52-acre park located directly south of the White House. Approximately 10,000 people typically attend, including members of the First Family. Celebrity entertainers are scheduled to perform.

 

Parking is tricky, so the NPS strongly encourages the use of public transportation by way of the Metro commuter rail line or buses.

Throughout the month of December, visitors are invited to view the National Christmas Tree, as well as the 58 smaller trees honoring the states, territories and District of Columbia, as part of the “Pathway of Peace” display. 

These trees are typically 7-foot Fraser firs grown in North Carolina that are decorated with ornaments contributed by students that symbolize the uniqueness of their home state or territory.

For the past five seasons, Mountain Top Fraser Fir, a wholesale Christmas tree farm near Newland in North Carolina’s Avery County, has donated all of trees for this project.

Mountain Top Fraser Fir is owned by brothers Larry and Lynn Smith, along with business partner Dale Benfield. Their farm has been growing and selling Christmas trees since 1977.

Traditionally, during the first week of November, Larry Smith (shown below) walks the farm and hand picks each tree that will go to Washington for the display. “Each tree needs to be the same size and able to hold the 20+ ornaments decorated by the school children.”

 

Larry Smith said he “got the bug” in 2018, when one of his trees was selected to be displayed inside the White House in the famous Blue Room.

“It’s pretty neat any time you can do anything for the White House,” he said. “It’s an honor to think something that a small-town farmer grows gets to go to the White House.”

Now, Larry Smith regularly attends the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. “I love being part of it,” he said. “You just see the joy on everyone’s faces. It’s just so magical and such a special experience.”

 As previously announced at Wagnabbit, the White House has selected Fraser firs from North Carolina to grace the Blue Room 17 times – more than any other state.

The official White House Blue Room Christmas tree in 2024 is being supplied by Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm, which was established in 1959 and is also located near Newland.

Let’s all celebrate a Tar Heel State Christmas tree dynasty. Fraser firs forever.

Since 1973, the NPS has been using a live tree as the National Christmas Tree, rather than a cut tree. Several of the replanted trees, however, have become diseased, requiring replacement.

In 2023, a 40-foot Norway spruce from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia was brought in just weeks before the tree lighting ceremony. It seems to be doing well.

  

 “The People’s Tree,” which is a gigantic Christmas tree displayed annually at the U.S. Capitol, is coming from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

 
The tree – a Sitka spruce – is now growing on Kupreanof Island, part of the Alexander Archipelago in the Southeast Alaska Panhandle.

 Each year, a tree from one of the 154 national forests is selected for the honor by the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

This will be the second time Alaska has provided the Capitol tree. In 2015, the Forest Service selected a tree from the Chugach National Forest near Prince William Sound, about 90 miles east of Anchorage.

“It’s an honor to have the 2024 U.S. Capitol tree come from Alaska,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said. “With more than 22 million acres of pristine wilderness, Alaska’s forests not only symbolize the grandeur of our nation but also embody the spirit of resilience and unity.”

 

The Architect of the Capitol will be traveling to Alaska to select the specific tree, which will range in height from 65 to 85 feet.

84 Lumber is a presenting sponsor of the Capitol Christmas Tree, which will travel more than 4,200 miles from the Tongass National Forest to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

 

“With this year’s tree coming from Alaska, it will cover a lot more ground and reach even more communities as it makes its way to the Capitol,” said Maggie Hardy (shown below), owner and CEO of 84 Lumber. “All of us at 84 Lumber are proud to help bring this annual holiday gift to our nation’s capital for everyone in the country to enjoy.”

 

The Capitol Christmas Tree lighting is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 3.