Lottery opens soon for DC Christmas tree lighting

Washington DC (WBQB/WFVA/AP)  -- The National Park Service will hold an online lottery this week to distribute tickets for the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in December. The lottery opens at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Nearly 10,000 free tickets will be distributed, including 7,000 standing-room tickets for the first time. The tree lighting is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. on the Ellipse near the White House. A Park service spokesman says this is the first time an online lottery has been used for the ticket distribution. In the past, ticket seekers had to line up on a Saturday morning and tickets were given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. The new system will be open to visitors from outside the Washington area.