The holiday season is upon us once again and so is the 24th annual Norwegian holiday tree lighting ceremony in the Main Hall of Union Station. The festivities will take place on Wednesday, December 8th at 5:00 pm and the holiday tree will be lit at 6:00 pm.

A consortium of partners, including the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic Chapter, and Washington Performing Arts, is presenting the 32-foot holiday tree to the people of Washington, DC. For the 25th time since 1996, on behalf of the citizens of Norway, this generous gift symbolizes gratitude for the assistance Norway received during WWII and appreciation for the strong friendship between the two countries.

This year’s performance line-up, co-presented by Mars Arts D.C. and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, will include musical performances by Norwegian-Brazilian jazz singer Charlotte Dos Santos, cross-genre vocalist and past contestant on The Voice Rayshun LaMarr, and DC-based string ensemble The C Street Collective, as well as a dance performance by local teenage dance virtuoso Matthew Crittenden.

This free, family-friendly event is open to the public. Come one, come all for this wondrous occasion.

Reminder: Masks are required in Union Station. For ADA accommodations, please contact [email protected].

The 2021 Norwegian holiday tree lighting ceremony is made possible by Equinor, Kongsberg, Nammo, Lockheed Martin, Teledyne Flir, Insitu, DNV, Innovation Norway, and Mars Arts D.C., a partnership of Mars, Incorporated and Washington Performing Arts, with support from Jacqueline Badger Mars.