Capitol Christmas Tree To Make Stops in No. Va. Before Arriving in D.C

Virginians have turned out for dozens of events to see the 70 foot red spruce from the George Washington National Forest. On Sunday, the tree will be on display in three Northern Virginia locations.

At 11 a.m., the tree will stop for about two hours on West Street in Manassas. Then it's off to the Masonic Lodge in Alexandria and the Freeman Store in Vienna before arriving in Washington at 10 a.m. Monday.

Once it's set on the Capitol lawn, the tree will be decorated with 5,000 ornaments made by Virginia school children and 10,000 lights. House Speaker Dennis Hastert will flip the switch during a ceremony on December 9.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Donna Wilson says this is the first time Virginia has been chosen to provide the tree for Congress.

The tree is getting plenty of attention across Virginia where the U.S. Forest Service is leading a series of community events to celebrate the state's contributions to American history. This year's theme is "From Virginia, Birthplace of Presidents."

The tree comes from Highland County, Virginia in the George Washington National Forest. Last year's tree came from Idaho, and New Mexico has already been selected to send next year's tree to Washington.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)