It's Here! Watch the Biltmore's 35-Foot Christmas Tree Come to Life

It's here!

After months of planning and anticipation, the 35-foot tall Fraser fir tree is in its spot in the Banquet Hall at Biltmore House, where it will reside as the estate's grand holiday centerpiece.

The ceremonial raising of the Christmas tree is one of the most beloved Biltmore holiday traditions, attracting visitors to the home's front lawn to see it make its way up to Biltmore House on a horse-drawn carriage. This Christmas, however, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the pageantry was shifted to the internet.

A small crew was on hand to capture video of yesterday's tree-raising, which is featured in Christmas at Biltmore: Virtual Tree Raising, a short documentary offering an insider look at how the massive Christmas tree comes to life. The video (below) premiered yesterday and is available now on both Facebook and YouTube.

Highlights include stories from the people who create the magic of Christmas at Biltmore, and the months-long planning and preparation that takes place for the holiday season.

Chase Pickering, one of the fifth-generation owners of Biltmore, recalls his first experience decorating the famed tree, while florist Joslyn Kelly explains the how the design team incorporated pinecones and other natural elements into the décor to reflect this year's "Christmas 1895" theme.

In terms of logistics, Rick Conard, vice president of destination experience for Biltmore, details the process of getting the 30-year-old, 3,000-pound fir into the home.

"It's quite a lift," he says matter-of-factly.

"This raising of the Christmas tree is truly the beginning of the season for all of us," Kelly says. "It's that moment when the tree is in place that we feel that kind of warmth and joy and hospitality that George and Edith [Vanderbilt] gave to all of their guests at the time of [that first] Christmas."

This year's Christmas at Biltmore will begin November 6 and runs through January 10. Visitors can choose between two magical experiences: the Christmas at Biltmore Daytime Celebration house tour and the Candlelight Christmas Evenings nighttime house tour.

Guests on both tours are invited to enjoy Biltmore's world-class décor featuring more than 100 hand-decorated and styled Christmas trees, 25,000 ornaments, 100,000 holiday lights, nearly 6,000 feet of garland, 1,200 traditional poinsettias, and so much more.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Biltmore.com/Christmas.