White House

White House Christmas Tree Lighting Lottery Open Through Oct. 22

Free tickets to the Nov. 28 celebration will be awarded through an online and phone lottery

What to Know

  • Tickets are free, but you'll need to enter an lottery for your chance to attend the Nov. 28 event on the Ellipse.
  • The lottery will open Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. and close Oct. 22 at 10 a.m.
  • To enter, visit www.recreation.gov and click or tap on "ticket lottery." Those without computer access may call 877-444-6777 to enter.

We haven't hit Halloween yet, but it's already time to start thinking about the holidays. The lottery for the National Christmas Tree Lighting is now open. 

Tickets are free for the Nov. 28 celebration on the Ellipse, but you'll have to enter the lottery for a chance to attend. The lottery closes at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 22.

To enter, visit www.recreation.gov before then and click or tap on "ticket lottery." Those without computer access may call 877-444-6777 to enter.

The National Christmas Tree is a live Colorado blue spruce originally from Virginia. Fifty-six smaller trees will feature one-of-a-kind ornaments and will represent every U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia, the National Park Service said in a release Thursday.

The White House Christmas tree lighting has been a tradition dating back to 1923. President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to light a tree on the White House Ellipse, a 48-foot fir tree decked out with 2,500 electric bulbs.

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