Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 8 Starts Holiday Season at N.C. State Capitol

Nov. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. – The holiday tree-lighting tradition at the State Capitol continues this year when Gov. Bev Perdue and First Gentleman Bob Eaves light the Christmas tree on Thursday, Dec. 8. The Junior Woman’s Club and State Capitol historic site host this free, public celebration.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the lighting of luminaries and holiday musical performances by the Raleigh Concert Band and the Raleigh Boychoir.

The governor and first gentleman 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. downtown  

Four local food trucks will open for business at 5 p.m. on Edenton Street between the Capitol and state museums. The Junior Woman’s Club will give away cookies and hot chocolate while local sports team mascots entertain the crowd prior to the ceremony. Even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance.

The annual holiday open house at the Capitol will begin at 6:30. The public is invited inside to see the Capitol’s holiday decorations, including trees decorated in honor of breast cancer awareness and the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. Meanwhile the Raleigh Boychoir will continue its performance in the Rotunda.

Visitors will find the N.C. Museum of History and its gift shop open, and may view the 24-foot decorated tree in the lobby, grown by Peak Farms in Ashe County and standing in honor of Thomas W.H. Alexander.  Old-fashioned toys and games, a “make-and-take” craft, and exhibits will add to the fun. The museum’s newest permanent exhibit, "The Story of North Carolina," will be open to visitors throughout the evening. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences also will be open, offering hands-on activities and “meet-the-animals” programs for children. Both museums will close at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8.

Sponsors are the State Capitol Foundation, the State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, the N.C. Museum of History, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh.

There will be free parking along the street and in state government lots after 5 p.m.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square. The Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. For more information, visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol or call (919) 733-4994.

The State Capitol and the N.C. Museum of History are part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, which annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported  Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources serves as a champion for North Carolina’s creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state’s economy.  To learn more, visit www.ncculture.com.

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The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. www.ncculture.com