In brief
A 75-foot-tall Norway spruce, weighing 11 tons, was harvested in East Greenbush and will be displayed at Rockefeller Center this season. Donated by Judy Russ and her family, the tree will be adorned with LED lights and a Swarovski star and lit during a live broadcast on December 3. Following the holiday season, it will be repurposed into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. — The towering 75-foot-tall Norway spruce that will illuminate Rockefeller Center this holiday season is on its way to New York City. This magnificent tree, weighing 11 tons, was cut down on Thursday morning in East Greenbush, an Albany suburb approximately 150 miles north of Manhattan. Scores of spectators gathered to witness the moment as the tree was loaded onto a 100-foot trailer, ready for its journey to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, expected to arrive on Saturday. There, it will stand proudly in front of the iconic Art Deco skyscraper, overlooking the famous plaza's ice skating rink.The tree will be decorated with over 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights and topped with a dazzling 900-pound Swarovski star. Its official lighting will occur on December 3 during a live television broadcast hosted by country music star Reba McEntire. The tree will remain on display until mid-January, after which it will be repurposed into lumber for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing.This year's tree was generously donated by homeowner Judy Russ and her family, who shared that the tree was planted by her husband's great-grandparents in the 1920s. For this to now become the center of New York City Christmas is incredible, Russ remarked.The tradition of placing a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center began in 1931 to lift spirits during the Great Depression. The first tree was a modest 20-foot balsam fir adorned with handmade garlands made by workers' families. By 1933, it had evolved into an annual lighting ceremony that continues to attract thousands of visitors each holiday season.
