Biltmore kicks off holiday season with annual tree-raising

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

The tree is located in the Banquet Hall.

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. For the past two years the event was closed to the public due to COVID-19. This year, the estate opted to do the event before opening hours and restrict attendance to media.

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.

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. 4, 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.

More information is on Biltmore's website. Biltmore is about 4.5 hours from Raleigh.