DOVER, DE - The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be making a brief stop on Delmarva during its 4,000 mile journey from Alaska to the West Lawn in Washington D.C. for a decades-long tradition.
This year’s Capitol Christmas Tree is an 80-foot-tall Sitka spruce selected from Wrangell, Alaska and is traveling 4,000 miles to D.C. to stand on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The tradition of placing a Christmas tree on the West Lawn began in 1964 when then-House Speaker John W. McCormack suggested the idea, according to the Architect of the Capitol.
Officials at the Dover Air Force Base (AFB) say the 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as the “People’s Tree,” will be on the Base in front of Major George S. Welch Elementary on Hawthorne Drive on November 20th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students, families, and anyone with base access will be able to view the tree, sign the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree banner, and learn about the history of the People’s Tree tradition.