November 09, 2024 MANHATTAN, New York – The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived overnight, kicking off a 93rd year old tradition and representing the official start of the holiday season in the city for tourists and New Yorkers alike.
Crowds gathered early Saturday morning to watch the towering 74-foot Norway spruce be lifted by crane and set in place where it will be on display at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, located between 49th-50th Streets and 5th-6th Avenues, Manhattan.
The tree donated by the Albert family was cut down on Thursday and made it’s 140-mile journey from Western Massachusetts to Midtown Manhattan.
The towering 70 year old spruce will be decorated with thousands of lights along with a Swarovski star crown atop the first tree from Massachusetts since 1959 to be on display at Rockefeller Center.
A lighting ceremony is scheduled on December 4th for the 11-ton tree that will be illuminated from 5 a.m. to midnight until mid-January.
The tree will then be milled into lumber before being donated to Habitat for Humanity.