Join the State Capitol and Gov. Roy Cooper for the annual tree-lighting tradition on Thursday, Dec. 6. The festivities begin on Capitol Square at 5 p.m. with luminaries and holiday music by the Kaiser Middle School Eighth Grade Concert Band. At 5:30 p.m. the Raleigh Concert Band will perform. 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.
Thursday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. the Capitol will feature holiday music in the rotunda.
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. 2018's official Tree Sponsor is the City Club of Raleigh.
All Capitol events are free, and no reservations are needed or accepted. 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.