Every year, a different national forest is selected to provide a tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, in partnership with nonprofit partner Choose Outdoors and Colorado Tourism, will bring this special gift from Colorado to Washington, D.C. for the 2020 holiday season.
Ten communities will host celebrations along the way, including a special appearance at Asheville Outlets on Tuesday, November 17th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. During the three-hour viewing, both in-person and drive-by options will be available for interested visitors. Activities are open to the public and free for all to enjoy. Face coverings are required, and social distancing protocols will be in effect.
Under the theme, Experience Your Nature, the 55’ tall Engelmann Spruce will be cut on the Uncompahgre National Forest on November 6th and prepared for the nearly 2,000-mile expedition. The journey will include a series of 10 outdoor community celebrations primarily within the state of Colorado and will be delivered to the U.S. Capitol on November 20th. The tree will be decorated with handmade ornaments specially created by Coloradans and will be lit in early December.
The initiative is made possible with cash and in-kind contributions from companies large and small, as well as volunteers locally and across America, who provide vital support of time and resources. 2020 sponsors include Kenworth Truck Company, Apex Transportation, 42 Degrees North Media, Spireon, Inc., Hale Trailer, Chuck Leavell, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, STIHL, Truckload Carriers Association, Great West Casualty Company, Valley Crane, Red Wing Shoes, National Forest Foundation, Society of American Foresters, LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc., The Joy Trip Project, Loki, Montrose County, Delta County, Seirus, TravelCenters of America, Bass Pro Shops, Citizens State Bank, and Vesmir. Follow along online at USCapitolChristmasTree.com and @uscapitolchristmastree on Facebook and Instagram.
Festivities during the tree’s visit to Asheville Outlets will include:
- An appearance by Santa Claus
- Hot Cocoa Station, ITeam Games & Photo Booth sponsored by Ingles Markets
- Food Trucks
- Live remotes with iHeart Media’s 99.9 KISS Country Eddie Fox, 104.3 STAR Ariel Rymer, and 570 WWNC Mark Starling
- Toy Drive benefiting Eblen Charities