EIGHTY FOUR, Pa. — Alaska’s Tongass National Forest will provide a tree for this year’s 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Whistle-Stop Tour, which is set to be in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 17.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service selects a national forest to provide a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building during the holiday season. The 2024 tree will come from America’s largest national forest. This is second U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Alaska, the first tree sent by Chugach National Forest in 2015.
The tree will begin its 4,000-mile journey in Wrangell, Alaska on Oct. 30, making stops along the way to Washington D.C. The trek will take over three weeks, traveling the lower 48 by sea and from the Pacific Coast to eastern seaboard by truck. At each stop, people will have the opportunity to sign the banner of the Alaskan trailer, learn about Alaska’s national forests and the U.S Capitol Christmas Tree tradition and purchase souvenirs from Alaska Geographic.
This years sponsors include nonprofit partner Society of American Foresters and presenting sponsor 84 Lumber. In addition to supporting the tour, 84 Lumber will host an event for military service members and families to see the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on Nov. 20 in front of Welch Elementary School and Dover Air Force Base Middle School in Delaware. The company will also honor military service members at the end of the tree’s journey and give 84 trees to base families at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
There will be local tour stops on:
• Nov. 16 from 4-7 p.m. at Parkview Field, 1301 Ewing St., Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Nov. 17 from 1-3 p.m. at the Center of Science and Industry, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio
• Nov. 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Maryland Theater, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown, Maryland.
The tree lighting ceremony will occur on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in early December. Tour dates and locations are subject change. The USDA Forest Service has been providing the “People’s Tree” from one of America’s 154 national forests for 54 years.
For more information, visit www.uscapitolchristmastree.com/calendar.
