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MURRAY, Utah (ABC4) — On Saturday, Nov. 9, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree made a stop in Utah as part of its 4,000-mile journey from Alaska to Washington, D.C.
The tree made a stop at Wheeler Historic Farm in Murray, from about 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 9, as part of the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Whistlestop Tour.
“The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 54-year tradition in which one of America’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a press release.
The Capitol Christmas Tree — also called the “People’s Tree” — for 2024 comes from the Tongass National Forest, and the Forest Service said the only other Capitol Christmas Tree that came from Alaska was chosen in 2015 from the state’s Chugach National Forest.
Callista Pearson, Salt Lake County Parks and Rec Communications Manager, told ABC4.com that people began showing up for the event on Saturday more than two hours before the tree showed up.
“It’s really exciting to have this tree stop here at a Salt Lake County location, and to be part of this,” Pearson said. “Everyone here is super excited to see the tree, we’re excited to have the tree here, and we hope it has a safe journey the rest of the way to the Capitol.”
Jeff Schramm with the U.S. Forest Service told ABC4.com on Saturday that the tree was put on a barge from Alaska to Seattle, and is now on a truck to make its way across the country. Schramm said the tour helps people “have a great holiday time to kick off the holiday season.”
“This is something that we very much appreciate doing with our sponsors,” Schramm said. “Everything is donated, and helps us get this tree across the country.”
Officials said the visit on Saturday was the first time a Capitol Christmas Tree has stopped at Wheeler Historic Farm. After the tree arrives in D.C., the Architect of the Capitol will decorate it (and other smaller “companion trees”) with more than 10,000 handmade ornaments.
About the tree — and how it’s staying alive
The 2024 tree is an 80-foot-tall Sitka spruce, which is native to (and the official tree of) Alaska, the Forest Service said. The tree is being transported across the country in a custom 82-foot trailer.
“To keep it green, and in good shape during its voyage, we’re taking all of these fine roots, we’ve developed a watering system to water it while it’s underway, and hopefully that’ll lead to a very bright, fresh tree going into the lawn at the Capitol,” Thomas Roland, a silviculture forester with Chugach National Forest, previously said.
Roland said this method of harvest is used for shorter trips in private industry but has never been used for a Capitol Christmas Tree.
Other tour stops
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is scheduled to make seven more stops before arriving in Washington, D.C. The remaining tour stops are as follows:
- Grand Junction, Colorado
- Loveland, Colorado
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Columbus, Ohio
- Hagerstown, Maryland
- Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
More details about the tour stops and locations are available online. The Forest Service said the dates and locations are subject to change.