President Biden kicks off holidays with National Christmas Tree Lighting for final time

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden kicked off the holiday season Thursday night in front of the White House for the last time.

It was the final National Christmas Tree Lighting for the president and his family.

The lights on the National Christmas Tree here at President's Park are officially on. Thousands of people gathered just steps away from the White House to witness the moment the flip was switched, lighting up the massive 35-foot red spruce from Virginia.

"It's absolutely beautiful," said Holly Crawford, who made the drive from Pennsylvania.

And while it was a frigid night out, the temperature and the heavy winds weren't going to stop a number of families from taking part in this festive moment.

"It's cold! But the tree is gorgeous," said Tanya Davis from Fort Washington.

Crawford was excited to make the trip to the nation’s capital after winning her tickets in the lottery, which provides a certain number of free tickets to the ceremony each year. 

"I entered the lottery," Crawford said. "I never win anything but I got tickets."

A number of people said they felt lucky this year.

"We have tried for almost 10 years for tickets and this is the year that we won," said Susan Bell, who lives in Sterling. 

Now in its 102nd year, the annual ceremony was stacked with performances from a number of artists including Adam Blackstone, Mickey Guyton, Muni Long, Max Impact and James Taylor.

And of course, there were Christmas carols to get people in the holiday spirit.

"We just love the United States. We wanted to be here and celebrate America and do it right here looking at the White House," Crawford said. 

The National Park Service says the lights on this tree will be on every evening until Jan 1.