Statehouse Holiday Tree Lighting and Festival - Kick off the holiday season on Capitol Square

Calendar of Events

Date :

December 1, 2008

Time :

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM

Where :

The Ohio Statehouse
1 Capitol Square
Columbus OH, 43215
Statehouse West Plaza (High Street) and Rotunda

What :

Governor and First Lady Strickland will officially kick off the holiday season on Capitol Square with the lighting of two Ohio Statehouse Holiday Trees on December 1, 2008. The lighting is the culmination of a short ceremony which begins at 5:30 p.m. on the West steps (High Street) of the Ohio Statehouse. This is the 93rd annual Ohio Statehouse Holiday Tree Lighting event held on Capitol Square.

The short tree lighting ceremony will include music provided by the Con Brio Children's Choir from Westerville and the Salvation Army Band. Governor and Mrs. Strickland will welcome visitors and usher in the holiday season by flipping the switch to light the two official Statehouse holiday tree. Both live trees are planted on the West Plaza. Governor Strickland will then command the firing of a civil war era cannon which will signal special holiday lighting of the Capitol Square complex and surrounding buildings. The cannon will be fired by members of the 1st Ohio Statehouse Light Artillery, Battery A.

The ceremony will be followed by a FREE holiday festival in the Rotunda and Atrium. The festival will include refreshments and performances by community choirs and the Salvation Army band. Other program elements will include: model train displays, a Santa and Mrs. Claus photo station, a finger printing I.D. station, live animals, Civil War re-enactors, various community mascots and much more.

The event is free and open to the public. The entire program will be held inside the Statehouse if the weather is inclement.

The Trees:
The trees are both living 28 foot Blue Spruces planted on the Northwest and Southwest corners of the Ohio Statehouse West Plaza in 1996. Each tree is decorated with more than 15,000 white mini and C7 lights and 285 ornaments consisting of 10 inch finials and 8 ½ inch stars in red, gold, and silver and 5 ½ inch and 8 inch ball ornaments in red, gold blue and silver. Each tree is topped with a star.

Experience a short video highlighting the Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting & Festival.