ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Christmas is coming to Appalachia, and one of the most popular places in the region is going all-out once again this year with its decorations!
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. is putting the finishing touches on its decorations ahead of the Friday, Nov. 5 start to its "Christmas at Biltmore" celebrations.
"Christmas at Biltmore" and "Candlelight Christmas Evenings" will be held at the estate through January 9, 2022. You can learn more and plan reservations at this link.
This year's design theme is "A Christmas Carol." The centerpiece of the celebrations -- a 35-foot-tall, 3,000-pound Fraser fir -- came from Andrews Nursery and Newland, N.C. Biltmore said the family farm has been supplying Christmas trees to them for more than 40 years.
Crews raised the tree in the banquet hall to begin decorating it, using sticks with hooks to string the lights and lift the massive ornaments up onto the tree.
This is the second year in a row that onlookers were unable to be a part of the decorating fanfare due to employee and guest health precautions. However, Biltmore said it will stream a tree-raising special Wednesday at 5 p.m. on its Facebook page and YouTube channel. The stream will include behind-the-scenes details about the tree's transformation and stories from the designers who put tons of effort into decorating the estate.
Editor's Note: The video at the top of this story aired in 2019.