Capitol Christmas Tree spreads holiday cheer from N.C. to D.C.
The 2022 Capitol Christmas Tree will be spending most of November headed from North Carolina to Washington, D.C.
This edition of the annual tour is scheduled to begin 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 Now. “It’s all about representing and bringing 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 said.
The Kingdons will drive a Kenworth T680 Next Generation to transport the tree to its final destination, the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol 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,” said Genevieve Bekkerus, Kenworth’s director of marketing. “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,” said Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors, the nonprofit partner that supports the USDA Forest Service on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative.
The tree is scheduled to be delivered to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 18. A tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 30. LL
Read about the journey of the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree.