Seasonal & Holidays
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting 2020: How To Watch
This year's tree lighting ceremony will be broadcast live Wednesday evening, before people get the chance to see the tree in-person.
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — It's been a hectic few weeks for the new Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, marked by a surprise owl and complaints about scraggly branches, but this year's tree is finally set to be lit up in its full glory Wednesday evening.
Members of the public will not be allowed to attend this year's ceremony in person, but will get the chance to visit in the coming weeks. Here's what to know.
Wednesday's tree lighting ceremony
The 88th annual tree lighting ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC from 8 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, with the actual lighting happening at 9:45 p.m. Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in attendance, according to his schedule.
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The first-ever tree lighting was held in 1933, two years after the construction workers building Rockefeller Center put up the first Christmas tree. The ceremony first aired on national television in 1951.
How to visit the tree
Starting Thursday, members of the public will be able to come see the 75-foot Norway Spruce tree in-person at Rockefeller Plaza. People will need to sign up online for a timed session at the designated viewing entrances on 49th and 50th streets at Fifth and Sixth avenues, de Blasio said Monday.
Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
To manage lines, guests can scan a QR code to see wait times and will get a text message when it is time to get in line, Rockefeller Center said. Viewings will be limited to five minutes, with masks required and social distancing enforced. Groups of more than four people will be separated into two pods.
"It's a timed, socially-distanced approach," de Blasio said. "A different approach, but an approach that will keep people safe."
Starting Wednesday until the tree comes down in early January, police will block 49th and 50th streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues to vehicle traffic to allow pedestrians to view the tree safely.
Read more about this year's tree on the Rockefeller Center website.
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