LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - This time of year the Capital Hotel and downtown Little Rock are decked out with Christmas trees and holiday decor. But did you know, the trees aren't chosen from local farms? Well, one viewer wants to know why.
Every year the Capital Hotel kicks off the holiday season about a month before Christmas with its annual tree lighting ceremony for all to enjoy.
"It's 32-feet-tall and about 15-feet wide and probably weighs 2,500 to 3,000 pounds,” Tipton and Hurst President Howard Hurst said of the Capital Hotel tree.
For some, it's a holiday tradition to see the stunning display of Christmas trees at the hotel and Capital Plaza downtown.
But there are questions about the origin of the trees. One viewer asked, "Why not show Arkansas trees? It would show support for our state."
"It's a good question. First of all, we always try to use local products, but the local fir trees that grow in Arkansas are cedar trees," Hurst said.
Hurst also said that cedar trees don't have the traditional Christmas shape, so for the past 10 years, they've gotten the trees from a farm in Oregon.
“So, what most people want is a traditional, down-swept Christmas tree that also can hold a lot of ornaments and a cedar tree – you can't put a lot of ornaments on it,” Hurst said.
"We put it up right at Thanksgiving and so it has to last a long time, and that's the other reason these trees hold up really well," Capital Hotel General Manager Michael Chaffin said.
Each year, the Oregon farm works to find some of the best shaped Christmas trees in the United States.
“They go out into the wild and take a photograph of a big tree and they give us four or five to choose from. Then, we narrow it down to one together, Chaffin said.
This year’s pick turned out to be the best one yet.
“This is probably the best looking tree that we've had in 10 years," Hurst said.
They plan to leave the trees up until after the new year around Jan. 3, so there's plenty of time for you and your family to stop by and check them out.