In brief
A 75-foot-tall Norway spruce, destined to grace Rockefeller Center this Christmas season, was cut down in East Greenbush, NY. The grand tree will arrive at its midtown Manhattan location on Saturday and will be adorned with over 50,000 LED lights. The lighting ceremony, scheduled for December 3, will be highlighted by the crowning of the tree with a 900-pound Swarovski star. This installment continues a tradition started in 1931.
The towering Christmas tree that will light up Rockefeller Center this holiday season is on its way to New York City. The 75-foot-tall (23-meter-tall), 11-ton Norway spruce was felled Thursday morning in East Greenbush, an Albany suburb located about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Manhattan. The tree was then loaded onto a 100-foot-long (31-meter-long) trailer as scores of people turned out for the occasion. It is expected to arrive at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Saturday, where it will take its place in front of the midtown Art Deco skyscraper overlooking the plaza’s famous ice skating rink.Adorning the tree will be more than 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights, culminating in a grand display on December 3 during a live TV broadcast hosted by country music star Reba McEntire. The tree will be on view until mid-January, when it will be milled into lumber for use by the affordable housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.This magnificent tree was generously donated by homeowner Judy Russ and her family, who planted it nearly a century ago. 'For this to now become the center of New York City Christmas is incredible,' Russ told radio station 1010 WINS. The holiday tradition began in 1931 when the first small tree was erected amid the Great Depression, ultimately evolving into the magnificent spectacle seen today.
