Michigan's state Christmas tree for 2025 has been officially chosen, and it's set to journey from Sault Ste. Marie to its holiday post in Lansing. A 68-foot spruce has been graciously donated by Sault Ste. Marie resident Linda Reid, in tribute to her grandparents, Lawrence and Nettie Richey. Reid expressed her sentiment, saying, "I was shocked when I found out our tree was selected as the 2025 state Christmas tree," she told the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). "I don’t remember a time when the tree wasn’t in the backyard, but my grandparents played an integral role in my life since I was a young girl, so it means a lot to be able to make this donation in their honor."
With the help of notable regional associations such as the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, the tree will be harvested on Oct. 30. It will be transported by the Christmas tree crew from DTMB and arrive in downtown Lansing to ultimately stand strong on the Capitol lawn. In keeping with tradition, local Boy Scout troops will assist in untying the tree, revealed in a strange statement provided by the DTMB, which said they will "continue the tradition of untying the tree."
The process does not halt with its planting; rather, it extends into the realm of decoration and presentation. Upon being erected near Capitol and East Michigan avenues by HI-Ball Company's crane and crew, the City of Lansing's forestry team, as Lansing's forestry team unveiled, will adorn the tree with lights and ornaments designed by the Michigan Capitol Commission and the Lansing Board of Water & Light. These carefully crafted plans will come to fruition at the 41st Annual Silver Bells in the City event, a celebration that doesn’t pause for inclement weather. During this festivity, taking place on Nov. 21, dignitaries will light up the tree, which now contains thousands of lights, around 7:30 p.m.
