Ready for the Lighting
Tree skirt for Capitol Tree created locally
Submitted photo Local craftspeople, working together at the Elkins Sewing Center, created the 15-foot in diameter tree skirt for the 2023 Capitol Christmas Tree, which was harvested in Randolph County and will be lit Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The Inter-Mountain photo Coordinated by Kathryn Prentice, left, Susan Lynch, Sue Pifer and Lola Collier provided assistance to make the 15-foot in diameter tree scarf at the Elkins Sewing Center.
Submitted photo Local craftspeople, working together at the Elkins Sewing Center, created the 15-foot in diameter tree skirt for the 2023 Capitol Christmas Tree, which was harvested in Randolph County and will be lit Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The Inter-Mountain photo Coordinated by Kathryn Prentice, left, Susan Lynch, Sue Pifer and Lola Collier provided assistance to make the 15-foot in diameter tree scarf at the Elkins Sewing Center.
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ELKINS -- Many local residents are looking forward to the official lighting of the 2023 Capitol Christmas Tree -- which was harvested in Randolph County -- on Tuesday.
The lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, a time-honored tradition of more than 50 years, will take place Tuesday during a ceremony on the West Front Lawn beginning at 5 p.m. It will then be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. each evening through Jan. 1.
The U.S. Forest Service contacted the Elkins Sewing Center to take on the creation of the tree's scarf. Several volunteers spent many hours designing and laying out materials to make the scarf.
Coordinated by Kathryn Prentice, Susan Lynch, Sue Pifer and Lola Collier provided assistance to make the 15-foot in diameter scarf, using 36 yards of green velvet and accented with West Virginia Tartan Plaid.
Prentice noted that this was a "totally creative collaboration" and many suggestions from local seamstress professionals were used.
Sewing Center owner Sue Pifer added, "The Elkins-Randolph County Community can be very proud of their contributions made for the Washington, D.C., event."
Each year, the Architect of the Capitol selects the annual U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in consultation with the United States Forest Service.
This year's tree is a 63-foot Norway spruce from the Greenbrier Ranger District in the Monongahela National Forest in Randolph County.
The tree traveled to Washington, D.C. by truck, making stops in communities along its route before arriving at the U.S. Capitol on Friday.
A team of employees from the AOC will secure and decorate the tree, ensuring it is ready to spread holiday cheer to visitors from all over the country and around the world.