Street closures for Thursday’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony – WTOP News

This year’s annual National Christmas Tree Lighting takes place this Thursday at D.C.’s President Park.

The event will be hosted by American country artist Mickey Guyton with performances from actor Darren Criss, jazz singer Samara Joy, Ledisi, Reneé Rapp, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh and Dionne Warwick. The event will also feature the U.S. Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band.

But the star of the show is the tree itself: a 40-foot Norway spruce from Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

CBS will air a special National Christmas Tree Lighting show at 8 p.m. on Dec. 15. The park will open to the public Dec. 2, two days after the lighting ceremony.

It’s too late to grab a ticket. The lottery for tickets to the event closed on Nov. 8. However, it’s not too late to alter your travel plans and avoid a potentially confusing Thursday commute.

The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from approximately 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday:

• 17th Street from H Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• 15th Street from F Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 15th Street, SW
• Madison Drive from 14th to 15th Street, NW
• Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 18th Street, NW
• C Street from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• D Street from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• E Street from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• F Street from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• G Street from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• New York Avenue from 17th Street to 18th Street, NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street to 18th Street, NW

The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday:

• 17th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 18th Street, NW
• 15th Street from F Street to Constitution Avenue, NW