CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The calendar just turned to October but planning for the holiday season is underway, with the announcement that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will come from western North Carolina.
The tree, a 78-foot tall red spruce affectionately known as "Ruby," will be harvested from the Pisgah National Forest in early November before making a nearly 1,000-mile trip to the Capitol. The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, known as "The People's Tree," will adorn the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
Each Capitol tree is picked from a different national forest. Last year's tree was selected from the Six Rivers National Forest in California. The tradition of dating the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree dates back to 1964.
North Carolina's produced several famous Christmas trees over the years, including last year's official White House Christmas tree. Peak Farms, run by Russell Estes and his son, Beau, also provided the White House tree in 2012 and former Vice President Mike Pence's tree in 2018.
Ruby's journey to the Capitol will include a series of community celebrations before she's delivered on Nov. 18 and decorated with handmade ornaments and tree skirts created by North Carolinians.
The U.S. Forest Service is hosting a harvest celebration on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 3 p.m. until 5 pm. at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, North Carolina. Visitors can take a "walk" through an interactive display of the four national forests in North Carolina and learn about each forest's ecosystems. The event is free and open to the public.
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