Join the State Capitol and Gov. Roy Cooper for the annual tree-lighting tradition on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
The festivities begin on Capitol Square at 5 p.m. with luminaries and holiday music by the Raleigh Concert Band and Oak City Voices. The governor and dignitaries will make their way to the South grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street. The Junior Woman’s Club will give away cookies and hot chocolate – and even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance!
The Capitol’s annual holiday open house will begin at 6:30 p.m. following the ceremony. The public is invited inside to see holiday decorations and natural greenery located throughout the building, and the Wake Med Chorus will perform in the rotunda.
From Thursday, Dec. 7 – Friday, Dec. 8 (from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) the Capitol will have music in the rotunda throughout the day, and on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the Capitol will again have music, with Santa returning from 1-3 p.m.!
From Dec 5 through the 16 the Capitol will collect donations for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh. Non-perishable food items, including canned fruits and vegetables, dried noodles and sauces, whole grain cereal, peanut butter crackers and soups are requested. All donations will go to the shuttle’s “School Pantries” program. Drop your items off at the bin inside. For more information about what to donate visit https://www.foodshuttle.org/donate-food/.
Sponsors of the holiday festivities are the State Capitol Foundation, State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh. The City Club of Raleigh is 2017’s official tree sponsor.
Reservations are not needed or accepted, and all holiday events at the Capitol are free. For additional information, please call (919) 733-4994. The State Capitol is located at 1 East Edenton Street, Raleigh and is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.