LITTLE ROCK, AR — Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin announced the State Capitol will hold the 74th annual lighting ceremony at dusk Saturday, Dec. 1.
“I hope Arkansans will join us for this event,” Martin said. “This is a great tradition begun by Secretary of State Crip Hall, and I am honored to continue it.”
The ceremony follows Little Rock’s Big Jingle Jubilee parade. The Episcopal Collegiate School “Steel Cats” will open the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Santa will be available to visit with children in the Capitol Rotunda, while local choral groups Top of the Rock and Diamond State Men’s Chorus perform.
During the next weeks, school choirs and dance troupes from across the state will perform in the Rotunda. The schedule is available at
http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/stateCapitolInfo/Pages/default.aspx.
The Capitol lighting ceremony was begun in 1938. Then-Secretary of State Hall introduced the Capitol Christmas lights as a gift to children in the Arkansas Children’s Infirmary.
“This year’s event is especially meaningful, because Arkansas Children’s Hospital celebrated its hundredth birthday,” Martin said. “In honor of that, we’re donating 10 percent of proceeds of the sales of the 2012 Capitol Christmas ornament, to the hospital.”
This year’s ornament features an enameled version of the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas. It is available in the Capitol gift shop or online at
https://www.ark.org/sos-ornamentsale/index.php.
The Capitol is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
