Tree Lighting Ceremony Starts Holiday Season at N.C. State Capitol Dec. 12

Dec. 9, 2013 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. -- The tree-lighting tradition at the State Capitol will continue when Gov. Pat McCrory and First Lady Ann McCrory light the Christmas tree Thursday, Dec. 12. The Junior Woman's Club and State Capitol historic site host this free, public celebration.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. with luminaries being lit and holiday music being performed by the Raleigh Concert Band and the Garner Magnet High Die Meisters. The governor and first lady will make their way to the South Capitol grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street.

Yellow Dog Bread Company will sell coffee and assorted pastries on the grounds throughout the evening. The Junior Woman's Club will give away cookies and hot chocolate while local sports team mascots entertain the crowd prior to the ceremony. Even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance!

The annual holiday open house will begin at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited inside the Capitol to see the holiday decorations, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and featuring items grown, raised and harvested in our state. Meanwhile, the East Cary Middle School Steel Drum band will perform holiday music in the Rotunda.

Governor Pat McCrory and First Lady Ann McCrory invite you to bring donations for North Carolina's Rural Shelters, in cooperation with Bayou Rescue. Dogs and cats are surrendered for many different reasons or are rescued, and our state's shelters become their temporary homes. By dropping off food, blankets, towels, toys and treats, you can brighten the holidays for these adoptable pets and help our state's shelters provide the proper care for them until they find a “forever home” with a new family.

Please bring donations to the State Capitol Rotunda on Dec. 12, 13, 14 or 15. Donations can include the following:

Canned food for puppies, kittens and adult dogs and cats
Toys for enrichment
Blankets and towels for bedding and bathing
Treats for all animals

Sponsors of the Capitol open house are the State Capitol Foundation, State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, N.C. Department of Agriculture, N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, N.C. Museum of History, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, the Downtown Clubs of Raleigh and the Junior Woman's Club of Raleigh. The 24-foot tree was grown by Peak Farms in Ashe County and is sponsored by the Capital City/Cardinal Club of Raleigh.

There will be free parking along the street and in state government lots after 5 p.m.

Visitors will find the N.C. Museum of History (http://www.ncdcr.gov/ncmoh/Home.aspx) and its gift shop open, and will enjoy the giant decorated tree in the lobby. Old-fashioned toys and games, a "make and take" craft, and exhibits add to the fun. Museum exhibits, including “The Tsars' Cabinet” and “Windows into Heaven,” will remain open until 7:30 p.m. at a discounted admission price (free for children ages 6 and under). The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences nearby will also be open, offering hands-on activities and "meet the animals" programs for children. Discounted tickets to view the special exhibit “Birds of Paradise” will be sold until 6 p.m., and the museum will remain open until 9 p.m.

The State Capitol's mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square. The Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. For more information, please visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol or call (919) 733-4994.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources:

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of Archives and Records, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visitwww.ncdcr.gov (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AwLlnI3FNAClQJh5_yZIJAWW3s...).