Kyle Yarusso and Annie Yu Host the 2019 Tree Lighting Pre-Show

This photograph was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on December 5, 2019, during the pre-show of the 97th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Here, the co-hosts of the pre-show, National Park Service interpreter Kyle Yarusso and WUSA9 News morning anchor Annie Yu address the crowd. The pre-show provided information about the contributors to the event, as well as performances of holiday tunes by the United States Marine Band and the West Tennessee Youth Chorus. As the entity responsible for maintaining President's Park -- and the National Christmas Tree planted on its Ellipse -- the National Park Service is a key sponsor of the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.