Join the State Capitol and Governor Roy Cooper for the return of the annual tree-lighting tradition on Thursday, Dec. 9! The festivities will begin on Capitol Square at 5:30 p.m. with holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band. The governor, Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson and other dignitaries will make their way to the South grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street. The Junior Woman’s Club will give away cookies and hot chocolate — and even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance!
This year, the Capitol’s tree comes to Raleigh from Peak Farms in Ashe County, N.C — the same farm that supplied this year’s tree to the Blue Room at the White House.
The Capitol will not be open during or following the ceremony and will not host a holiday open house this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to visit the Capitol or view interior decorations, the building is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sponsors of the holiday festivities are the State Capitol Foundation, State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, and the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh.
The tree lighting event is free to attend, and no reservations are needed or accepted. For additional information, please call (919) 733-4994. The State Capitol is located at 1 East Edenton Street, Raleigh and is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.