National Christmas Tree ticket lottery opens October 28

By Erick León

Source publication/update: October 19, 2026.

The free ticket lottery for the 2026 National Christmas Tree Lighting opens October 28 at 10 a.m. Eastern time and closes November 4 at 3 p.m., according to the National Park Service.

The ceremony is scheduled for December 3 on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Applications will be handled through Recreation.gov, with applicants able to request up to five tickets.

Successful applicants are scheduled to be notified November 12. Entering does not guarantee admission. Readers should use the official announcement and ticketing service for application instructions and any subsequent event updates.

Source: Official announcement and further information.

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