Here are 16 North Carolina Christmas tree lightings, from the mountains to the coast

A Christmas tree lights up the front of the State Capitol in Raleigh. Here are 16 local Christmas tree lightings to check out in 2024 in North Carolina. (Shutterstock)

By Billy Ball

November 20, 2024

Whenever you like to ring in the holidays, North Carolina communities from the Outer Banks to the mountains are getting together in the coming days and weeks to officially light their Christmas tree. Here’s what to know.

It’s not clear who invented the Christmas tree. This winter symbol of light and joy started showing up sometime in the 16th century, and it’s a ubiquitous symbol around the holidays.

But North Carolina has a special claim to it, being the second-biggest producer of them. Western NC’s cooler temperatures and relative moisture make it a prime spot for growing Fraser firs, which is probably why a North Carolina tree has been chosen to be the official White House tree three out of the last four years.

Either that or NC is a swing state and Oregon isn’t.

Author

Billy Ball

Billy Ball is Cardinal & Pine's senior newsletter editor. He’s covered local, state, and national politics, government, education, criminal justice, the environment, and immigration in North Carolina for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary have earned state, regional, and national awards. He's also the founder of The Living South, a journalism project about the most interesting people in the American South.

Have a story tip? Reach Billy at [email protected]. For local reporting that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Billy’s newsletter.

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CATEGORIES: THINGS TO DO

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