Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The tree is put in place in mid November and lit in a public ceremony on the Wednesday evening following Thanksgiving.

Until his death in 2009, the late David Murbach,[5] Manager of the Gardens Division of Rockefeller Center, scouted for the desired tree in upstate New York and surrounding states, and even Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.

Scaffolding is erected around the tree to assist workers in hanging about 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and the star top.

[11] The new star features 70 spikes and three million crystals with LED lighting spots by the company Oznium, who worked with the engineers.

[13] The first Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was erected in 1931, during the Depression-era construction of Rockefeller Center, when Italian-American workers decorated a smaller 20 foot (6.1 m) balsam fir with "strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans"[14] on Christmas Eve.

[8] World War II ushered in simple, patriotic decorations, including red, white and blue unlit globes and painted wooden stars.

[2] In 1969, artist Valerie Clarebout's towering wire herald angels were added to the Channel Gardens in front of the tree near Fifth Avenue.

Though the tree typically makes its journey on a truck bed, in 1998 it was flown in from Richfield, Ohio, on the world's largest transport plane.

On November 16, 2020, an adult female northern saw-whet owl was found dehydrated and hungry within the wrapped branches of the newly delivered tree during its installation.

The feathered stowaway, named Rockefeller (Rocky), endured the three-day road trip and generated much public interest and media coverage.

[23] In 2022, Mario Lopez filled in for Guthrie and Roker due to her illness and his health complications involving blood clots.

In recent years, celebrity appearances and live performances preceded the tree lighting ceremony and featured some of the biggest names in music.

Performers for the broadcast ceremonies have included, over the years, John Legend, Diana Ross, Gwen Stefani, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Harry Connick Jr., Rosemary Clooney, Annie Lennox, Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin, Cyndi Lauper, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Mickey Guyton, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett.