ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) -- The Biltmore Mansion in Asheville kicked off its 130th Christmas season Wednesday morning with the traditional raising of its iconic Christmas tree.

The event marks the beginning of the holiday season at the Biltmore, with a 35-foot Frasier fir tree being carried into the Banquet Hall by a team of at least 40 staff members.

The tree, weighing 2,500 pounds, comes from a family farm in Western North Carolina.

"It's a big relief," said Trip Hudgins, Engineering Operations Manager at Biltmore House and Gardens. "It's a couple of sleepless nights getting ready and not knowing whether it's going to rain, the weather, how the tree is and how it's tied up."

The Biltmore's floral design team spends an entire day decorating the massive tree, using scaffolding and handma

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