WASHINGTON — It's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season.
The 100th National Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at President's Park in Washington D.C.
The National Christmas Tree lighting is a tradition that started in 1923 during President Calvin Coolidge's administration. The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation are presenting this year's lighting.
This national holiday tradition features musical performances and the official ringing-in of the holiday season. This year's event will mark the 100th lighting of the National Christmas Tree.
The lighting will take place on Nov. 30 this year. Space is limited for the ceremony, so the park service will be giving away free tickets through an online lottery. You can sign up for this lottery starting Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. The lottery will close a week later on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
To sign up, visit Recreation.gov and click "TICKET LOTTERY." You can also call 877-444-6777 to enter the lottery. The applicants who applied for the tickets will be notified about their status on Nov. 8.
On Dec. 2, the park will open to the public and will remain open until Jan. 1. The public can view the National Christmas Tree and the 58 trees decorated by states, territories, and schools managed by the Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity.
To read more about the history of the National Christmas Tree lighting can be found here.
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