One of Washington’s most beloved holiday traditions is getting ready to shine again — and this year you can plan ahead. The free ticket lottery for the 104th National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony opens Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET and runs through Wednesday, November 12 at 3 p.m. ET, for the ceremony on Thursday, December 3, 2026 on the Ellipse in President’s Park, just south of the White House.
Entering is simple and completely free: apply online at Recreation.gov during the lottery window and indicate how many people are in your group (up to a posted maximum per application). Tickets are awarded at random and are not first-come, first-served, so there is no need to rush on opening morning. Applicants are notified of the results by email after the lottery closes, and there is no standby line on the night of the ceremony — a lottery ticket is the only way in, which makes this October window the moment to mark on the calendar.
The ceremony itself is pure Washington holiday magic: the National Christmas Tree, a living tree permanently planted on the Ellipse, lights up for the season in a tradition that dates to 1923. If you cannot make the lighting night, the decorated tree and the Pathway of Peace — lined with smaller trees representing every state and territory — stay open to the public free of charge through January 1, with the lights coming on each evening around sunset. Put in your lottery entry between October 28 and November 12, and start the season with a little sparkle.
Photo: National Park Service via Wikimedia Commons
