2016 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in President’s Park will help celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service on December 1st with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
This year’s ceremony will be hosted by actress, producer, director, activist and businesswoman Eva Longoria and will feature performances by Kelly Clarkson, Yolanda Adams, The Lumineers, Marc Anthony, James Taylor, Chance the Rapper, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. With accompaniment from Afro Blue and the Airmen of Note they will entertain the crowds with a compilation of holiday favorites.
Olympic Gold medalist Simone Manuel, who won 2 gold and 2 silver medals in RIO, will also make a special appearance with First Lady Michelle Obama. At a young age of 20 she became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming and set an Olympic and American record. Manuel also holds three world records as a member of a relay team.
Presented by the official charity of America’s national parks, National Park Foundation, and the National Park Service, this American holiday tradition was started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 “to bring citizens together to share in a message of hope and peace.” Since 1954, the event has marked the start of month-long festivities known as the Pageant of Peace which is a series of nightly performances and religious observances.
National Park Service celebrates it’s 100 year anniversary with #FindYourPark education and public awareness campaign to inspire people from all walks of life to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national parks and community-based programs by inviting people to discover and share their own personal connections to the nation’s vibrant culture, natural landscapes and rich history.
As of Tuesday, December 6, 2016 you’ll be able to watch the event on the National Christmas Tree Lighting website, thenationaltree.org. For more information about the event and its history use hashtag #NCTL2016 and follow National Christmas Tree on Twitter @TheNationalTree.