D.C. Welcomes ‘Spruce Wayne,’ 80-Foot Alaskan Christmas Tree to Begin 2024 Holiday Season at U.S. Capitol

The 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree marks the arrival of the holiday season in Washington, D.C. From the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the West Front Lawn of the Capitol, the 80-foot Sitka spruce traveled more than 4,000 miles. The tree traveled 700 miles by sea and made multiple stops throughout the nation, according to FOX 5 DC.

A joyful journey from the North to the birthplace of liberty, the tree’s journey sliced through the center of America and earned the moniker “Spruce Wayne” through a social media vote. The tree, which is one of the tallest in history and commemorates 60 years of tradition, was not without its challenges, as a backup tree had to be chosen after the original option was damaged in a storm, according to WUSA 9.

The transportation of the tree was left to John Schank and Fred Austin, both of whom were from Alaska, Austin from the appropriately named North Pole.According to DC News Now, Schank is taking part in this national celebration for the second time with this year’s conveyance.

The tree will be decked out with 5,000 handcrafted decorations from Alaskan villages and lighted by 5,000 LED lights during the ceremonial lighting, which is set for December 3 at 5 p.m. The National Forest Service’s Joseph Boggs told WUSA 9 that a cross-country drive and several barges were needed to prepare and deliver the tree. “It was on a remote island, so they had to identify the tree, harvest the tree, get it on a barge to another island and then from that island it got on a commercial transporter to another community,” Boggs said. The tree will be lit every night after the lighting, from sunset to eleven p.m., till the New Year.

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