Iron Mountain spruce becomes Michigan’s 40th state Christmas tree

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget selected a 60‑foot spruce from Iron Mountain as the official 2026 state Christmas tree. It will arrive in downtown Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 7, to adorn the Capitol lawn for the holiday season.

The tree, donated by the Larry Riccio family, is the second from Iron Mountain and the 26th from the Upper Peninsula since the tradition began in 1987. It was harvested Thursday, Nov. 5, and will be transported to the Capitol with assistance from the Michigan Association of Timbermen, the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, and DTMB’s Christmas tree crew. Local Boy Scout troops will untying the tree, and the HI‑Ball Company of Lansing will provide a crane and crew to hoist the spruce near the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues.

Once in place, Lansing’s forestry team will prepare the tree for the lighting scheme and decorations developed by the Michigan Capitol Commission and the Lansing Board of Water & Light. The ceremony will culminate with a tree‑lighting event Friday, Nov. 20, at the 42nd Annual Silver Bells in the City celebration, when dignitaries will flip the switch that turns on thousands of twinkling lights at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Read the full story at michigan.gov.