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This year marks the 65th annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower in Raleigh, an annual tradition that has grown to include celebrations with towers at American Tobacco Campus in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills.

<p>WRAL welcomed special musical guests the 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus to ring in the holiday season.</p>

<p>The annual WRAL Tower Lighting was held Wednesday night at the Western Boulevard studio in Raleigh.</p>

<p>It featured a live, half-hour special of music and holiday cheer across central North Carolina, with towers lit in Raleigh, Durham and Rocky Mount.</p>

<p>This year marked the 65th annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower in Raleigh, an annual tradition that has grown to include celebrations with towers at American Tobacco Campus in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills.</p>

<div class="dembed">{{embed href="video-21173555"}}</div>

<h2>WRAL Tower Lighting Special</h2>

<p>Debra Morgan and Gerald Owens hosted the WRAL Tower Lighting Special, live on TV and everywhere you stream WRAL.</p>

<ul>
	<li>{{a href="video-21173612"}}Watch the lighting of the WRAL-TV tower along Western Boulevard in Raleigh{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-21173594"}}Watch the lighting of the tower at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-21173608"}}Watch the lighting of the tower at Rocky Mount Mills{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-21173605"}}Watch the 82nd Airborne Division sing "Frosty the Snowman"{{/a}}</li>
</ul>

<div class="dembed">{{embed href="video-21173612"}}</div>

<h3>Musical guests live in Raleigh, Durham, Rocky Mount</h3>

<p>The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus entertained in Raleigh; in Rocky Mount, the Screamin’ Bridge Bluegrass Band, an up-and-coming, group led by Matthew Manning of the Martin County Ramblers performed; and Lucas Middle School chorus were among the performers in Durham.</p>

<div class="dembed">{{embed href="video-21173605"}}</div>

<h2>WRAL's holiday tower lighting: A beloved 65-year tradition</h2>

<p>The tower lighting tradition began in 1959, with Capitol Broadcasting founder A.J. Fletcher reading "A Christmas Carol" to viewers before the tower was lit.</p>

<p>Over time, the original tradition was embellished with new ones, including musical performances, aerial video from Sky 5, manufactured snow to set the mood and streaming video to the web and mobile phones.</p>

<p>In 2017, WRAL anchor {{a href="video-17155298"}}Bill Leslie debuted a Christmas original composition{{/a}}.</p>

<div class="dembed">{{embed href="video-17155298"}}</div>

<h2>Celebrations from seasons past</h2>

<ul>
	<li>{{a href="video-20606188"}}WATCH: 2022 WRAL Tower Lighting special{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-20012162"}}Watch the moment each towers were lit during the 2021 WRAL Tower Lighting{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-18807761"}}WATCH: 2019 WRAL Tower Lighting{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-18024184"}}WATCH: 2018 WRAL Tower Lighting{{/a}}</li>
	<li>{{a href="video-18031126"}}WATCH: 2018 tower lighting at American Tobacco in Durham{{/a}}</li>
</ul>

<h2>NBC lights the Rockefeller Center tree, music in Memphis</h2>

<p>WRAL's Tower Lighting Special was followed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday by the annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center. Kelly Clarkson hosted musical guests and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes for the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree.</p>

<p>At 10 p.m. on WRAL-TV, celebrate the king of rock and roll with Christmas at Graceland.</p>

Mark Bergin

WRAL lights towers in Raleigh, Durham and Rocky Mount

This year marks the 65th annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower in Raleigh.

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