BATH COUNTY, Va. – The Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County has officially kicked off its Christmas season.
The tree has been on quite the journey from a farm in Avery County, North Carolina, to the Omni Homestead Resort.
"I go down in July and look at three or four different trees that he's picked out and we find the one that best fits our combinations here," said Forrest Lee, grounds manager for The Homestead.
It was a tight squeeze but with some planning, some direction and a little muscle from Homestead employees, the 20-foot Fraser Fir made it inside. Now, the tree sits in the center of The Homestead, a reminder that the Christmas season is right around the corner.
"Everybody that comes here is part of our family and we want to build a tradition with them. This is the first step in going in that direction," Lee said.
All the hard work and heavy lifting also brought in quite the crowd. From locals to resortgoers, dozens turned out to cheer and celebrate as the tree took flight.
"It's interesting to talk to people and see how they get the Christmas tree up and think of ideas about how they decorate it or something like that," said Ryleigh Phillips.
The Homestead will make the holiday official with a tree lighting at 4 p.m. Wednesday.