Please note: Out of respect for Californians affected by the shooting in San Bernardino, this evening’s annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be canceled. Although the ceremony is canceled, the Christmas tree will still be illuminated at 5:00 p.m.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and First Lady Anne Gust Brown will host the 84th Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 2nd on the West Steps of the State Capitol.
This year’s tree is a 61-foot tall white fir from Latour Demonstration State Forest located near Redding in Shasta County, the fourth Capitol Christmas tree to come from a state forest managed by CAL FIRE on behalf of the public.
The tree is decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments made by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers.
The Governor and First Lady Anne Gust Brown will light the Capitol Christmas tree with nine-year-old Jeffrey “J.J.” Paris of Sonora. It will be illuminated by approximately 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.
Kitty O’Neal of KFBK Radio will emcee the ceremony, which will also feature performances by the California Army National Guard’s DET 1, 40th Infantry Division Band, Brass Quintet, the Governor’s Own; students from the Oakland Military Institute and Oakland School for the Arts; violinist Allison Zhang; and St. Paul’s Baptist Church Choir.
When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. (formal program begins at 5:00 p.m.)
Where: California State Capitol, West Steps, Sacramento, CA 95814
**NOTE: This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Members of the public are asked to RSVP here and are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Sacramento Food Bank.
Parking for satellite trucks will be available on the east side of 10th Street between L and N Streets.
For more information on Jeffrey “J.J.” Paris, please contact Nancy Lungren, California Department of Developmental Services, at Nancy.Lungren@dds.ca.gov.