See It: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Arrives In Midtown

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Two days after it was chopped down Upstate, this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was wheeled into Manhattan and installed Saturday in its time-honored display area at Rockefeller Plaza.

The 11-ton, 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce was hoisted by a crane from its flatbed trailer Saturday morning and suspended in midair before being placed delicately in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

During the installation, a spike was driven into the tree trunk using a sledgehammer to help keep it standing securely.

Workers cut down the 11-ton tree Thursday morning alongside New York State Route 23 in Oneonta, about three hours north of the city. It was donated by Al Dick, owner of Daddy Al's General Store, which is located about two miles east of the tree itself.

Let the holiday season begin! The 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has officially arrived at the Plaza. pic.twitter.com/RapXlMt1Fb
— Rockefeller Center (@rockcenternyc) November 14, 2020

For nearly 90 years, a tree has stood in Rockefeller Center every Christmas. The first iteration was in 1931, conceived by construction workers building Rockefeller Center. A formal tree lighting ceremony was first held two years later and the occasion has become more elaborate over time, first airing on national television in 1951.

This year's 88th annual tree lighting ceremony will begin 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, airing live on NBC but without any crowds in attendance due to the pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the city will make plans to allow the public to come see the tree in-person, while limiting crowds to maintain social distancing.

The tree will be adorned with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and topped with a star designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, weighing 900 pounds and covered in 3 million crystals.

After the holidays, the tree will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

"This year, we just feel the tree is vital," Rob Speyer, President and CEO of Tishman Speyer, which owns Rockefeller Center, said in a statement. "The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree always represents the holiday season, but it has also stood tall as a symbol of hope, resilience, and New York's enduring spirit, from the Great Depression to 9/11, Superstorm Sandy through today."