Biltmore hosts annual tree-raising, signals beginning of holiday season

The holidays have begun at Biltmore. On Wednesday, the estate celebrated the arrival and raising of its centerpiece - a 35-foot tall, 3,000-pound Fraser fir.

The annual arrival of the tree via horse-drawn carriage is normally a popular event for visitors, who would gather on The Biltmore House's front lawn to view it. During COVID, the estate did not allow the public on site for the tree raising.

As with last year, this year's tree raising took place before opening hours and restricted attendance to media.

The tree is located in the Banquet Hall and will be decorated with 500 ornaments and 500 lights -  a Vanderbilt family tradition dating back to 1895 that was inspired by the yuletide tale, “The Night Before Christmas,” the tree and the room will glitter in shades of red, emerald and gold.

Biltmore House itself will be home to 62 hand-decorated Christmas trees, more than 14,000 ornaments, 45,000 holiday lights, 250 candles, 1,000 feet of garland and 175 traditional poinsettias that are refreshed and replaced mid-season.

New this year, the library of the home will be dressed in a nod to the upcoming Hallmark Channel film "A Biltmore Christmas," which was filmed at the estate in January. With portions of the film set in the 1940s, the library will feature multi-color décor with classic red and green elements and silver-sequined tinsel decorating the room's Christmas tree.

Guests can choose from two experiences during the holidays - Christmas at Biltmore's daytime house tour or the Candlelight Christmas Evenings' tour. Both experiences start Friday, Nov. 3, and include access to the entire estate.

Christmas at Biltmore's Daytime Tour, which runs until early January, includes a look into the historic property during the holiday season.

During Candlelight Christmas Evening tours, the house glows by candlelight. The event is a nod to the Vanderbilt’s first Christmas spent in Biltmore House in 1895. There are musicians stationed throughout the house performing seasonal songs. A 55-foot Norway Spruce on the home’s front lawn lit with 55,000 lights will greet guests as they arrive to enter Biltmore House.

Biltmore is about 4.5 hours from Raleigh.