PIERRE, S.D. (KCCR) - The 36th Annual Grand Lighting Ceremony for Christmas at the South Dakota Capitol was held Tuesday evening. The night started with music from Pierre Music Store staff, patrons, and students.
Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill was the emcee for the event and welcomed guests, crediting all the volunteers that transformed the Capitol. Gill said “It smells, looks, and feels like Christmas,” referencing the over 90 decorated trees.
This year’s theme for Christmas at the Capitol is “A Monumental Christmas.” The largest tree in the Capitol was decorated by the Mount Rushmore Society. The 40-foot Colorado Blue Spruce was donated by the Bob Krutzfeldt family of Huron and trimmed to 30 feet to fit in the Capitol Building.
Governor Dennis Daugaard spoke about the history of the Christmas at the Capitol tradition. The tradition was started by the late Dottie Howe with just 12 trees in 1981.
First Lady Linda Daugaard introduced the individual that would be pushing the button which would light all the trees. 14 year old Hunter Propst of Pierre had the honor for flipping the trees on. Hunter, along with his older brother Mason, flipped on the lights and wowed the crowd. Propst has a disease called Sanfilippo syndrome, for which there is not currently a cure. You can follow his journey on Facebook by liking “Hope for Hunter.”
The holiday display will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from today through Dec. 26th.
(Thanks Kevin Larson, KCCR Pierre)
