South Carolina’s official Christmas Tree arrived at the South Carolina State House this morning following a brief press conference on the North Lawn. Charlene Slaughter, director of communications with Experience Columbia SC, thanked the many individuals and organizations that helped make this year’s tree possible. Experience Columbia SC is the presenting sponsor of the 59th Annual Governor’s Carolighting.
This year’s tree is a 35-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Henderson Tree Farms in Morganton, N.C. This is the fourth year the tree has come from Morganton. The Columbia Garden Club, with support from the Garden Club of South Carolina, procured the state’s Christmas tree. Dominion Energy will set the star on top of the tree in the coming days and hang over 13,000 lights before members of the Columbia Garden Club and the Garden Club of South Carolina will begin decorating it.
“The Columbia Garden Club and the Garden Club of South Carolina will gather and unwrap, sort and prepare over 900 ornaments for hanging on the tree,” said Melissa Prickett of the Columbia Garden Club. “We have red, gold and silver balls, teardrops and large glittering stars to adorn the tree.
“This is a big, fun, done in a day project that many hands help make possible,” she said.
The Christmas tree’s journey to the State House is a spe-
cial ritual for Bruce Vollnogle, owner of TimberTech in Greer, SC. This is the 21st consecutive year that Vollnogle and his team donated their time and services to pick up the tree and bring it to Columbia. Vollnogle received the Order of the Palmetto for his service in delivering the Christmas tree for the past 20 years.
The tree will stay dark until the 59th Annual Governor’s Carolighting on Sunday, Nov. 23, on the South Carolina State House’s North Lawn. Carolighting festivities begin at 6 p.m. with live music from South Carolina artists and a countdown to the tree lighting.
Look out for Santa who will pay a special visit.
This year, performers representing the entire state include Professor Jeffrey Lampkin and the award-winning Francis Marion University YGB Gospel Choir, Carolighting Children’s Choir, Grace Miller Moody, season 27 contestant on The Voice, the Ft. Jackson 282nd Army Band Quintet and the holiday jazz sounds of Mark Rapp. Sarah Kay Wrenn, Miss South Carolina, will emcee the program.
The live program will be televised on SCETV from 6-7 p.m.
