Spruce on IM’s Northside to become state Christmas tree
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IRON MOUNTAIN -- For the second time in seven years, Michigan's official state Christmas tree will come from Iron Mountain.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget announced Tuesday that a 60-foot spruce on Vulcan Street, donated by the Larry Riccio family, has been chosen to grace the Capitol lawn in downtown Lansing for the 2026 holiday season.
"It is pretty cool to be able to say that your tree is the state Christmas tree," property owner Larry Riccio said in a news release. "When we first bought our house in 1986, the tree was quite large but now it has outgrown the property. Our family is excited and honored to donate this year's tree."
This is the second tree from Iron Mountain, and the 26th from the Upper Peninsula since an official tree began being placed at the Capitol each holiday season in 1987. In 2019, Jordan and Sarah Wolfenberg and their family donated a 61-foot blue spruce along U.S. 2 near what then was Iron Mountain Power Sports.
In all, five trees have been selected from Dickinson County: two from Kingsford, two from Iron Mountain and one along M-95 south of Sagola.
The tree will be harvested at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, and transported to the Capitol with help from the Michigan Association of Timbermen, the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association and DTMB's Christmas tree crew.
"It's been on our list for a couple of years now," said Denny Olson of Quinnesec, a member of the DTMB search and harvest crew, Michigan Association of Timbermen and the GLPTA. He noted the same yard had "triplets" of nice trees that fit what they look for in a state Christmas tree.
Olson hopes to have children, school bands and others on hand for the harvest Nov. 5. The event in Kingsford drew roughly 2,200, he said.
"Our industry is very proud to be able to bring the tree to Lansing," Olson said.
Once at the Capitol, local Boy Scout troops will continue the tradition of untying the tree, according to DTMB. The HI-Ball Company of Lansing will provide a crane and crew to hoist the spruce into place near the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues.
Once in place, the City of Lansing's forestry team will prepare the tree for the lighting scheme and decorations developed by the Michigan Capitol Commission and the Lansing Board of Water & Light.
The entire journey will culminate with a tree-lighting ceremony Friday, Nov. 20, at the 42nd-annual Silver Bells in the City celebration. Rain or shine, dignitaries will flip the switch that turns on thousands of twinkling lights at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
For more information on Silver Bells in the City, go online to SilverBellsintheCity.org or contact Rachel Beatty, marketing manager with Legends Global at r.beatty@lansingcenter.com.