Balmy day greets nation’s Christmas tree dedication ceremony

Kings Canyon National Park hosted its 91st annual Trek to the Nation’s Christmas Tree on a relatively balmy Sunday afternoon.

The ceremony dedicates the General Grant Tree as a national shrine in memory of the fallen men and women of the armed forces. President Calvin Coolidge declared the General Grant tree the nation’s Christmas tree on April 28, 1926.

The event is sponsored by the Sanger District Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the National Park Service. The hourlong ceremony, held near the base of the tree with temperatures in the 40s and no snow, included the Jubilation Singers, Sanger High School Choir and a nondenominational holiday message.

This story was originally published December 11, 2016 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Balmy day greets nation’s Christmas tree dedication ceremony."