Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the 83rd Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd on the West Steps of the State Capitol.

This year’s tree is a 53-foot tall white fir from Latour Demonstration State Forest located near Redding in Shasta County, the third Capitol Christmas tree to come from a state forest managed by CAL FIRE on behalf of the public.

The tree is decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments made by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers.

The Governor and First Lady Anne Gust Brown will light the Capitol Christmas tree with eight-year-old Kimie Metcalf, of Chino. It will be illuminated by approximately 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.

Kitty O’Neal of KFBK Radio will emcee the ceremony, which will also feature performances by the California Army National Guard’s DET 1, 40th Infantry Division Band, Brass Quintet, the Governor’s Own; poet Jibril Kyser; students from the Oakland Military Institute and Oakland School for the Arts; and St. Paul’s Baptist Church Choir.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. (formal program begins at 5:00 p.m.) at the California State Capitol, West Steps, Sacramento

This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Members of the public are asked to RSVP and encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Sacramento Food Bank.