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.
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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.