The people of Iowa will soon have the chance to see the “People’s Tree.”
The 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will appear at the Altoona Bass Pro Shops as part of its 4,000-mile journey from Alaska to Washington, D.C. Since 1970, a different U.S. national forest has provided a tree to light up the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season.
This year’s tree features an 80-foot Sitka spruce harvested from the Tongass National Forest in Juneau, Alaska. Its journey started Oct. 26 in Wrangell, Alaska, and the tree is expected to be delivered to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 22. There, it will be decorated with handmade ornaments specially created by Alaskans.
“We are honored that the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will make a stop in Altoona on its journey to Washington, D.C,” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines. “This will be an exciting day for our community and the people to be part of this gift to the nation.”