State Christmas trees line Pathway of Peace

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The National Christmas Tree display in President’s Park is open to the public this year, despite the pandemic.

Each year, the National Christmas Tree is surrounded by 56 state, district and territory trees. The trees are decorated by school children chosen from each state. But, this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, students drew ornament designs and submitted them to the National Park Service, who printed them and hung them on each tree.

“For the past two years, we worked with students from across the country, and they volunteered their time to create the ornaments. It’s really special,” said Katie Liming with the National Park Service.

The lighting of the 98th National Tree took place Monday, December 1 without a live audience. A recording of the tree lighting will be available online starting Thursday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET and throughout the holiday season at thenationaltree.org

The public can visit the National Tree and the 56 surrounding trees that make up the Pathway of Peace through the end of December.

Below is a list of the 56 schools that designed ornaments for the 2020 National Christmas Tree display in President’s Park:

Alabama: Shelby County High School

Alaska: IDEA Homeschool

American: Samoa Lupelele Elementary School

Arizona: Pinnacle High School

Arkansas: Wooster Elementary School

California: Riverside STEM Academy

Colorado: Meeker High School

Connecticut: Berlin Public Schools

Delaware: Newark High School

District of Columbia: Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC)

Florida: Port Salerno Elementary

Georgia: Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School

Guam: Agana Heights Elementary School

Hawaii: Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School

Idaho: Mountain Home High School

Illinois: Richland County Community Unit School District

Indiana: Brown County High School

Iowa: Karen Acres Elementary School

Kansas: Rolling Ridge Elementary School

Kentucky: Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School

Louisiana: Parkway Elementary School

Maine: Regional School Unit #38

Maryland: Hyattsville Middle School

Massachusetts: All Saints Academy

Michigan: Brimley Area School District

Minnesota: St. Alphonsus Catholic School

Mississippi: Terry High School

Missouri: Nixa Public School

Montana: The Polaris School

Nebraska: Chadron Public School

Nevada: Damonte Ranch High School

New Hampshire: Amherst Middle School

New Jersey: Delaware Township School

New Mexico: Harrison Schmitt Elementary School

New York: Champlain Valley Educational Services

North Carolina: West Buncombe Elementary School

North Dakota: Kindred Public School District

Northern Mariana Islands: Grace Christian Academy

Ohio: Liberty Tree Elementary School

Oklahoma: Jenks High School

Oregon: Howard Street Charter School

Pennsylvania: Neshaminy School District

Puerto Rico: Escuela Dr. Francisco Hernández y Gaetán

Rhode Island: Frank E. Thompson Middle School

South Carolina: J.G. McCracken Middle School

South Dakota: Hill City High School

Tennessee: Beaumont Magnet Academy Elementary School

Texas: Caldwell High School

U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Croix Educational Complex High School

Utah: Union High School

Vermont: Milton Town School District

Virginia: Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

Washington: Tukes Valley Middle School

West Virginia: Robert L. Bland Middle School

Wisconsin: St. Thomas More High School

Wyoming: West Elementary School

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