Montana’s Capitol: Welcoming The Giant Christmas Tree

We saw our first real taste of winter yesterday here in Bozeman. The storm brought high winds, snowfall, and even snow lightning, which is always a wild sight. This November has been unusually mild, almost like a frog slowly boiling in warm water. For weeks, we’ve had little reminder that winter is on our doorstep and the holidays are just around the corner.

Temperatures have been higher than normal, and the lack of snow made it feel like December was still far away. But yesterday’s storm finally gave us that unmistakable hint that the season is changing.

With the holidays approaching, it is officially time to start thinking about Christmas trees. Montana’s Capitol Christmas tree is already on its way to Helena. This year’s tree, a Douglas fir, was cut down on Monday in Seeley Lake.

The tree comes from federal land and its harvest is part of the Good Neighbor Authority, a collaborative effort between state/federal agencies and private partners to help manage forests sustainably. Governor Greg Gianforte highlighted the importance of the annual tradition. He said, “This is a really special thing we do every year, harvesting the Christmas tree for the Capitol on public land. This year it’s on US Forest Service land under the Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the state to work with our federal partners to better manage our national forests.”

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When Will The Capital Tree Be Lit In Montana?

The big celebration of lighting the tree will be on Monday, December 1, at 5 p.m. In a true Christmas spirit, a choir from Carroll College will be on hand to sing holiday carols. This officially welcomes the festive season to the state.