The tree, hailing from the White River National Forest near Meeker, CO., will be on display from 4:30-6:30p.m. on November 13th at the New Mexico National Guard Armory Building located at 600 Wyoming Blvd. NE. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand along with hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies; a large holiday card to sign; a Toys for Tots collection; and the Capitol Christmas Tree itself.
“We are honored that this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree will make a stop in Albuquerque,” said Roger Newall, Veterans Affairs Liaison with the City of Albuquerque. “Many local entities have worked together to make this event happen, and we are excited to not only celebrate the upcoming holiday season, but to give back to our communities and forests. This opportunity doesn’t come along very often, it’s great that Albuquerque gets to be a part of it.
For nearly five decades, the beautiful and iconic U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree has been selected from a National Forest to be presented to the American people at the nation’s capital. This year, the tree is making the 23-day journey from Colorado to Washington, D.C. with a stop in New Mexico’s largest city.
Several local entities have worked to put the Albuquerque event together including the City of Albuquerque’s Veterans Affairs Office, the Visit Albuquerque, the New Mexico National Guard, the Sheraton Uptown Hotel, and local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.
The tree will roll into town on a 105-foot truck. Event attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots collection by the Marine Corps. Capitol Christmas Tree merchandise will be available for donations at the event.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree has garnered national media attention on its trek across the nation. Track the progress of the tree at www.TrackTheTree.com. More information on the Albuquerque event can be found here.
You can also follow the tree on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. The Albuquerque stop will be the tree’s only stop in New Mexico.