Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin will welcome West Virginians to the annual Joyful Night celebration Dec. 1 at the State Capitol Complex.
As part of the evening's festivities, the First Family encourages attendees to bring a new unwrapped toy for the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots campaign.
The Joyful Night program will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the North Plaza of the Capitol where Governor and First Lady Tomblin will light the state Christmas tree, donated by Ed and Finn Dumire of Beverly.
There will be musical performances by a number of high school marching bands, choirs and a special recognition ceremony for West Virginia's service men and women, veterans, Gold Star Families and first responders in the Governor's Reception Room.
The tree will be lit during a 6 p.m. ceremony, followed by concert performances at 6:30 at the Culture Center and 7 p.m. at the Capitol Rotunda. At 7:30, holiday cards for the military will be made available for the public to sign in the Governor's Reception Room. Wrapping up the night at 8 p.m. at the Governor's Mansion will be the evening's final concert performances and readings of holiday stories by Gov. and First Lady Tomblin.
For a complete list of Joyful Night activities, visit http://bit.ly/21ev7Y7. For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History at 304-558-0220.