After 200-mile journey, state Christmas tree now stands in front of Capitol

Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal
Updated ·2 min read

LANSING — Another downtown street was closed for a few hours Saturday morning, only this time it wasn't for more road work.

At about 8:23 a.m., a 60-foot spruce tree, tied down to a long trailer, arrived on Capitol Avenue, completing a two-day, 200-mile journey from Onaway to the center of a sidewalk in front of the state capitol at the intersection of Michigan Avenue.

It took a crew of about a dozen — aided by some local Boy Scouts — an hour to untie the tree, hoist it upright with a crane, and then move it from the street to the east side of the capitol, and lower the trunk into a hole in the sidewalk that's usually covered.

The state Christmas tree stands on its own while being secured by Capitol grounds workers Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
The state Christmas tree stands on its own while being secured by Capitol grounds workers Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.

Then, just like many will do in homes across the state over the next couple months, the crews eyeballed the tree from each side to make sure it was straight: They tilted it slightly to the south, then a bit to the west.

And just like that, Michigan state Christmas tree, estimated to be at least 70 year old, was ready for the holiday season to come to downtown Lansing.

Vic Ruppert, of Onaway, and his family donated the tree in honor of his late wife Shirley Ruppert, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which chooses the tree each year from nominees offered by the public. It's the first tree from Presque Isle County and the 13th from Michigan's Lower Peninsula since 1987, when the state officially began the tradition of having a Christmas tree on the Capitol grounds.

A 60-foot spruce tree is hoisted on to stands to remove the ropes tying down branches in front of the state Capitol in Lansing Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The state tree, from Onaway, will be decorated and lighted on Nov. 17 during Silver Bells in the City.
A 60-foot spruce tree is hoisted on to stands to remove the ropes tying down branches in front of the state Capitol in Lansing Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The state tree, from Onaway, will be decorated and lighted on Nov. 17 during Silver Bells in the City.

But work on the tree won't be complete until Nov. 17, when the 39th annual Silver Bells in the City event culminates with a tree lighting ceremony. The spruce will be lit with thousands of lights, the highlight of a downtown Lansing holiday event that will include an electric light parade with more than 70 entries, from high school marching bands to horse drawn carriages.

The parade will start at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 at the intersection of Lenawee Street and South Washington Square. The tree lighting is slated for about 7:30 p.m. and the event concludes with a drone light show and fireworks over the capitol.

Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at 517-377-1026 or mjmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @MattMencarini.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: After 200-mile journey, state Christmas tree now stands in front of Capitol