MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers and First Lady Kathy Evers today shared a video tour of the 2024 holiday decorations at the Wisconsin Executive Residence for Wisconsinites, thanking local businesses, organizations, and volunteers for their help in making the Residence festive this holiday season.
“Each year, we are incredibly grateful to the extraordinary efforts of our local businesses, volunteers, and organizations who dedicate their time and resources to help turn the Wisconsin Executive Residence into a beautiful holiday display that showcases the wonders of our state and that we are proud to share with visitors and guests all season long,” said Gov. Evers.
A virtual tour of the Executive Residence decorations with the governor and first lady is available here.
The Executive Residence’s holiday displays and decorations offer a glimpse into the lives of Wisconsinites and the traditions and celebrations that Wisconsinites hold dear. Featured throughout the Residence are holiday displays from businesses and local organizations across Wisconsin. This year, the Residence’s outdoor holiday tree is a Balsam Fir from the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
On display in front of the Residence are wreaths donated by 4 Mile Tree Farm in Oconomowoc, the winner of the 2024 Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association annual Wreath Contest, while the front entrance of the Residence was decorated in red, green, and gold by Jada’s Garden & Greenhouse in Blue Mounds.
Upon entering the Residence, guests are greeted in the foyer with white lights, red bows, and a traditional holiday garland, which was decorated by the Friends of the Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation (WERF). In addition, the WERF Friends also decorated the powder room with pink, gold, and green to compliment the existing wallpaper and mid-19th century floor-to-ceiling glass mirror.
The dining room was decorated by the docents at the Residence for the first time, and the room features numerous live trees with ornaments of silver and gold and Santa Claus, who holds a ‘Nice List’ that includes the names of all the volunteers at the Residence this year.
An annual tradition at the Residence is the Tribute to Our Troops Tree in the reception room. A tradition that began in 2005, this tree honors service members who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. This year, the tree was decorated by members of the Wisconsin National Guard and a family member of long-time volunteer and a founding organizer of the Tribute to Our Troops Tree, Linda Hughes. Linda passed away in 2022, and her family continues this tradition in her honor. The tree is decorated with patriotic red, white, and blue colors and ornaments representing each major branch of the military, in addition to ornaments sent in by families honoring their loved ones. Camouflage quilts under the tree provided by the Camo Quilt Project represent different military branches. The reception room also features two other trees that tell the story of the Wisconsin Blue Star Mothers of America and their loved ones. One tree represents the mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, and caregivers with children and grandchildren who are currently serving or have been honorably discharged. Underneath the Wisconsin Blue Star Mothers’ tree are care packages to be mailed to their loved ones. An additional tree represents Wisconsin’s troops, with now-opened care packages from their loved ones. Additional decorations this year were provided by a surviving spouse and spouses of current pilots of the 176th Fighter Squadron, 115th Fighter Wing.
Each year, the governor and first lady also decorate one room at the Residence in honor of the more than 6 million Americans and more than 100,000 Wisconsinites living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and the countless caregivers who provide them care. This year’s display takes place in the drawing room, which is decorated in purple to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementias and features a central tree with ornaments to spotlight dementia research happening across Wisconsin and that feature information for folks to learn more and get involved. This room also includes educational research milestones spanning from the first explanation of Alzheimer’s in 1906 to the latest advancements in modern treatment. Additionally, the room features handcrafted ornaments, adorned on four trees, created by Tribal, Hmong, Black, and Hispanic communities to spotlight the disparate health outcomes these communities face in developing Alzheimer’s or dementia. The governor and first lady want to share a special thank you to the community volunteers, organizations, and Tribal Nations for partnering to help decorate this room and for their daily work in serving individuals with dementia and their families.
The Sunroom and path outside feature a special display from the Ice Age Trail Alliance. The icy, frozen forest theme display highlights the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, featuring a snowy trail with trees dripping in icicle lights and adorned with figurines of woodland creatures. The butterfly featured in the display is a nod to the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s prairie habitat restoration projects that are helping the endangered Karner blue butterfly thrive.
Additional holiday displays, decorated by docents and staff from the Residence, are included in the library. Each year, First Lady Kathy Evers partners with the Madison Reading Project to host a book drive, encouraging all visitors and guests to the Residence during the holiday season to bring with them a new book to be donated. The Madison Reading Project serves thousands of families, schools, and community organizations by providing free books and literacy programs to help ignite the love of reading. Also in the library, several American Girl Dolls provided by American Girl, which was founded in Middleton in 1986, are on display. These dolls are dressed in garments that showcase the many diverse and beautiful cultural celebrations families across Wisconsin celebrate each year, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, Lunar New Year, and Dia de Muertos.
Featured at the Wisconsin State Capitol this year is a 30-foot Balsam Fir donated by Rick Burke and the Burke family from their home in Rhinelander. This is the second consecutive year that the Capitol tree was harvested from the Rhinelander area. Adorning this year’s State Capitol Holiday tree are hundreds of ornaments made by Wisconsin students reflecting the theme “125 Years of Wisconsin’s State Parks.” Students were encouraged to explore Wisconsin’s state parks for inspiration by reflecting on the state’s beautiful and diverse natural spaces, significant historical markers, and the unparalleled recreational and communal value of Wisconsin State Parks.
Around the base of the tree sits a skirt designed by Patti Hellenbrand of Lodi and quilted by Cindy Hasse of Cottage Grove, and a stainless-steel tree stand fabricated and donated by BouMatic of Madison. The locomotive circling the tree was supplied by Ken Lucht of the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad Company.
The 2024 State Capitol Holiday Tree will be on display through the end of the year for members of the public and visitors to enjoy as they visit the Wisconsin State Capitol building.
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