U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stops in Mariposa, passes through Merced County on journey

The spirit of Christmas passed through Merced and Mariposa counties on Thursday, in the form of a massive big rig trailer complete with an escort by law enforcement.

The holiday season excitement was due to the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree passing through the region on its journey to Washington, D.C.

Every year the U.S. Forest Service selects one of its 154 national forests to provide a Christmas tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season, according to a news release.

This year the tree, which is 84 feet tall, was harvested in the Six Rivers National Forest on Oct. 23.

Samantha Reho, spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, said it’s the fifth time a national forest in California has been chosen to provide a Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol. The last time was in 2011, when the Stanislaus National Forest provided the tree.

“For 51 years, the U.S. Capitol has asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide the People’s Tree,” explained Reho.

“In 1964 they tried to plant a tree, but planting a conifer with (Washington,) D.C. weather and climate didn’t really work out. So that’s when the Forest Service stepped in.”

The truck stopped during the afternoon at The Old Frost Shop in Mariposa, where some of the festivities included a visit with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, performances by the Mariposa County High School Band, and songs by children from Mariposa Elementary School.

Mariposa was the 10th stop for the U.S. Capitol tree on its journey to the East Coast. The tree was scheduled to stop in Fresno on Friday.

This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 6:30 PM.