Capitol Christmas Tree Tour schedule begins next month

The 2022 Capitol Christmas tree tour will start in just over three weeks on Nov. 5 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher.

A 78-foot red spruce, harvested from Pisgah National Forest, will be hauled by the husband-and-wife team of Harold “Ed” Kingdon Jr. and Deborah Z. Kingdon of Siloam, N.C.-based Hardy Bros. Trucking.

“It’s a great honor and a privilege – it’s the people’s tree,” Ed told Land Line. “It’s all about representing and bring people together. It gives you goosebumps to think that we’re doing something of that caliber.”

Deborah said her family had seen the Christmas trees before on visits to Washington, D.C., but they weren’t quite sure how they got there or what exactly they represented.

“Now, I’m really excited about it, especially after reading about the history of this program,” she told Land Line.

The Kingdons will drive a Kenworth T680 Next Generation to transport the tree to its final destination, the West Lawn of the U.S. Capital Building.

“Kenworth is proud to play a key role in helping deliver the people’s tree to Washington, D.C., for the ninth consecutive year,” Genevieve Bekkerus, Kenworth director of marketing, said in a news release. “The tour offers numerous opportunities to see this national symbol of celebration out on the highway or at the community events, and the Kenworth T680 Next Gen is the right truck for this important undertaking.”

A total of 15 stops across North Carolina, and one in Virginia, are scheduled for the public to attend.

“This annual journey is only possible with the help of strong community partnerships throughout North Carolina and beyond state lines,” Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors, the nonprofit partner that supports the USDA Forest Service on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative, said in a news release. “We’re grateful for the time and resources provided by Kenworth and Hardy Bros. Trucking. We look forward to a great tour.”

The 2022 Capitol Christmas tree public schedule:

• Nov. 5: Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher, N.C.
• Nov. 6: Cherokee County Courthouse, Murphy, N.C.
• Nov. 6: Oconaluftee Island Park Event Site, Cherokee, N.C.
• Nov. 7: Pisgah Forest Ranger Station and Visitor Center, Pisgah Forest, N.C.
• Nov. 7: Marion Main Street, Marion, N.C.
• Nov. 8: Avery County Cooperative Extension Center, Newland, N.C.
• Nov. 8: Watauga High School, Boone, N.C.
• Nov. 8: Downtown Newton, Newton, N.C.
• Nov. 9: Veteran’s Memorial Park, Mount Airy, N.C.
• Nov. 9: Troy Town Hall, Troy, N.C.
• Nov. 10: North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, N.C.
• Nov. 11: North Carolina Veteran’s Home, Kinston, N.C.
• Nov. 12: Union Point Park, New Bern, N.C.
• Nov. 13: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo, N.C.
• Nov. 14: Suffolk Visitors Center, Suffolk, Va.
• Nov. 18: Delivery to West Lawn, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
• Nov. 30: Tree Lighting Ceremony, Washington, D.C.

More information about the 2022 Capitol Christmas tree is available at USCapitolChristmasTree.com. LL

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