Governor and First Lady Haslam’s 4th Annual Holiday Open House Celebrates “Tennessee Landscapes”

Annual “Tennessee’s Home for the Holidays” event invites visitors to tour the Tennessee Residence decorated for the holidays.
                          
NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today opened the Tennessee Residence for the 4th annual Tennessee’s Home for the Holidays event. This year, the decoration theme is “Tennessee Landscapes,” and Tennessee State Parks were a partner to create decorations highlighting beautiful natural scenery in east, middle, and west Tennessee. The open house take will take place December 5 – 17, with tours offered Monday – Saturday, and guests may reserve a time to visit on the First Lady’s website, www.tn.gov/firstlady.

“The Tennessee Residence truly comes to life when it is beautifully decorated for the holidays and full of visitors,” Mrs. Haslam said. “Bill and I look forward to the open house each year, and this year’s decoration theme is very special.”

Tennessee covers area between some of the highest elevations in the eastern United States to the floodplains of the Mississippi River, and the landscapes are remarkably diverse. With 56 parks across the state, Tennessee State Parks are a great resource to learn about and enjoy the incredible natural landscape. This year, First Lady Haslam visited more than half of Tennessee’s State Parks to collect ideas and natural materials for the holiday decorations. Christmas trees are decorated for east, middle and west Tennessee, incorporating each region’s unique geologic and scenic features into the design. The main tree in the foyer is decorated for Tennessee State Parks, and each park is represented on the tree with a hand painted ornament created by an artist selected by the park’s manager.
 
“State Parks offer diverse natural, recreational and cultural experiences for visitors. They were a great resource for this project,” Mrs. Haslam said. “Our holiday decorations are wonderful, and the open house is also an opportunity to learn more about and celebrate the uniqueness of our beautiful state.”

Tennessee State Parks’ Junior Rangers Program, for ages 6-14, created the ornaments in Conservation Hall. The Junior Ranger Program strives to give children opportunities to learn about and enjoy their natural environment, and trees were decorated to represent the 6 different pillars of the program: Safety, History, Stewardship, Astronomy, Wildlife, and Water. Junior Rangers from across the state will have an opportunity to visit the Tennessee Residence tomorrow on Saturday, December 5 to see their ornaments and participate in a special holiday program hosted by Tennessee State Parks.

Anchor sponsor AT&T and supporting sponsors Comcast, Fifth Third Bank, Jim Marvin Enterprises, KaTom, Pinnacle, Suntrust, TVA, and Verizon are helping to provide the open house event at no cost to the public.

For more information about “Tennessee’s Home for the Holidays,” please visit www.tn.gov/firstlady.

http://www.tn.gov/firstlady