Secrets behind Christmas at Biltmore's centerpiece tree
With thousands of holiday lights adorning the historic estate, Christmas at Biltmore is now open to the public.
Posted — Updated
The holiday season has been a grand affair at Biltmore since the Vanderbilt's opened the house to friends and family on Christmas Eve 1895. Today, the annual event attracts thousands to Asheville to tour the 250-room home and expansive property.
Christmas at Biltmore runs through Jan. 8, 2023. This year's theme is "Winter Landscapes," which is part of the national celebration of the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, the estate’s landscape architect.
For many, the giant tree in the estate's banquet hall is a show-stopper. It's more than just a tree though. Read on to find out five fun facts you didn't know about Biltmore Estate's famous Christmas celebration's centerpiece tree.
It takes a village
Every year, a 35-foot Fraser fir tree is delivered to the estate a couple days before the official kick off to the holiday season. It takes at least 50 people to lift the tree off of the back of a truck and carry it through the front doors of the estate and into the banquet hall. Some people head upstairs, while others remain on ground level, as they use ropes to literally raise the tree off of the ground and position it in final location in the hall.
It's a 35-foot Fraser Fir Tree for a reason
Lizzie Borchers, Floral Displays Manager for Biltmore, said that the tree is always 35-feet tall because archival information shows that George Vanderbilt requested a 35-foot tree for the first Biltmore Christmas celebration in 1895.
For years, the tree has come from the same nursery in Avery County - Andrews Nursery.
Tree selection starts month ahead of time
In August, Borchers said she went to the nursery and "climbed a mountain" to take a look at potential trees. The tree selected this year is about 30 years old.
"There's a lot of things that can affect the look of a tree in that amount of time," Borchers said, remembering one potential tree's trunk being damaged by a boulder hitting it.
Overall, the planning for Christmas at Biltmore each year starts the previous year during the holidays.
"It really begins the Christmas before when we start looking at the rooms, deciding, who's gonna be decorating them and start developing plans, center those plans around a theme," Borchers said.
Thousands of lights
Before the tree is lifted, the topper is secured. It is then hoisted into the air, and secured with wood. Burlap decor is wrapped around the bottom of the tree to hide some of the wooden boards.
The first decorations to go on the tree are 500 LED Edison bulb-style electric lights. Then 500 ornaments are placed.
There are two banquet hall trees each year
The tree is not kept in water, but it doesn't dry out quickly due to its size.
"It is on a base that has been specially designed to secure it and keep the surroundings protected," Borchers said. "A tree that size with a trunk as large as it has really holds quite a bit of water. We do kind of keep tabs on if we've had a wet summer or not. A wet summer means a heavier tree and a heavier tree meets..more water in its reserves and it will last longer."
The trees are also sprayed with an anti-desiccant to help retain its moisture.
Even with all of that, the tree will start to dry out requiring staff to replace it halfway through the season.
"We all know a dry Christmas tree can be a hazard. We do switch the tree out halfway through the season to make sure it's fresh and beautiful, and every guest that comes through the door is getting the most perfect view that they can have. And that is done in the early wee hours of the morning. So as guests come in, we're just finishing up decorating and, redecorating that tree," Borchers said.
Christmas at Biltmore hours and experiences
In addition to the banquet hall tree, there are 66 other decorated trees inside Biltmore House. There are about 45,000 lights and 250 candles inside Biltmore House. About 850,000 lights are placed around the rest of the estate including the Front Entrance, Antler Hill Village and estate buildings.
Make sure to check out the Christmas pop-up shop at A Gardener’s Place in Antler Hill Village. There will also be bonfires at Antler Hill Village on Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 4 through Dec. 16 and daily from Dec. 17-31. Purchase ingredients for S’mores for bonfires at The Creamery.
You can also meet Santa at Antler Hill Village for photos from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 5-Dec. 18; Nov. 25; and Dec. 19-23.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
