Washington State has been given this year's honor of providing the Christmas Tree that will stand in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
The tree tree is a majestic, 65-foot tall Pacific Silver Fir and will be decorated with 10,000 lights and 3,000 ornaments handmade by schoolchildren from across Washington State. The highlight of the Capitol's Christmas season will be a simple, but dramatic lighting ceremony, in which the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives will light the spectacular tree, continuing a tradition begun in 1964.
The tree is a gift from the entire state and was selected by Ted Bechtol, Deputy Superintendent of Capitol Grounds, from the Olympic National Forest on Washington's scenic Olympic Peninsula.
After a brief cutting ceremony in early November, the tree was taken on a festive road tour through communities all around the state. Check out our cool video blog of the tour, produced by 4-H Network News. The tree is now being trucked cross-country to Washington D.C., courtesy of National Van Lines, this year's primary event sponsor, and Fontaine Trailer, who has graciously provided a specially-designed, expandable trailer to accommodate the unusual length of the tree. Be sure to follow the tree's progess as it moves across the country with our online TreeTracker, courtesy of SkyBitz!
The "Capitol Christmas Tree 2006" project is comprised of a series of events managed by the Olympic National Forest in partnership with Northwest Interpretive Association, a
Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public appreciation of the rich cultural history and spectacular natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Together, we wish to thank our additional partners, whose generous assistance ensures the success of this project.
Project management, event coordination, and tour route development services provided by Applause Event Services.
Part of an emerald paradise, the Olympic National Forest is located on the Olympic Peninsula in the northwest corner of Washington State ("The Evergreen State").
The Olympic Peninsula is a unique geographic province consisting of five major landscape settings: temperate rain forest, rugged mountain terrain, large lowland lakes, cascading rivers, and saltwater beaches. Here the flora and fauna provide interest beyond the imagination. Recreational opportunities seem unlimited. Smaller (six to seven feet tall) Companion Christmas
Trees will be provided by tree farmers and communities from across Washington State and distributed among several Washington, D.C. government offices including: the offices of the Washington Congressional delegation, the Supreme Court, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, the National Arboretum, U.S. Senate and more. The trees will be decorated with handcrafted ornaments made by Washington middle school students.
The Capitol Christmas Tree 2006 will be lit on Wednesday, December 6th at 5:00 p.m. by Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the 2006 Tree Ornament Contest winner.
The tree will be lit every evening from December 6th 2006 through January 1, 2007, from sundown until 11:00 p.m.