Watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree come down – NBC New York

Hold on to your turkeys. It’s time for glitter and cutting down the Rockefeller Christmas tree.

The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree comes from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts — the first tree to come from that state since 1959. It was cut down around 8 Thursday.

The tree joining what is now NBC’s annual tradition is an 11-ton red spruce. It is 74 feet tall and 43 feet wide, according to Rockefeller Center. The tree is due to arrive in the city later this month ahead of the lighting.

Here’s everything we know so far about the festivities and more fun facts about the annual extravaganza.

When is the Rockefeller Christmas tree coming?

The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be cut down from West Stockbridge on Nov. 7 before traveling about 140 miles to Manhattan. It will arrive at the site on Saturday 9 November and be hoisted into place.

The arrival of the tree is expected to be a spectacle, as always, and there will be family-fun activities for holiday lovers to enjoy on the South Plaza from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to organizers.

The Rock and Roll Playhouse will perform kid-friendly holiday classics, and there will also be story lessons with independent bookstore McNally Jackson. Little ones will also have the opportunity to write letters to Santa, decorate their own ornaments and even have their faces painted.

The festivities are free to the public, but those who RSVP in advance will receive a free treat at check-in. Click here for more details.

How is the tree decorated?

After arriving at Center Plaza, more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs will be strung over about 5 miles of wire to adorn the 2024 tree. It will then be crowned with a 9-foot, 900-pound Swarovski star covered in 3 million crystals.

It comes from Massachusetts for the first time since 1959.

When is the tree lit?

The tree lighting show starts at 7:00 PM ET Wednesday, December 4th. You’ll be able to watch NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” live on TV, on Peacock and wherever you stream NBC 4 New York.

Here is a brief history of the tree lighting

• 1931 – Construction workers building Rockefeller Center put up a Christmas tree, the first ever Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
• 1933 – First formal Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. The tree was decorated with 700 lights in front of the eight-month-old RCA building.
• 1936 – Two trees, each 70 feet (21.3 m) tall, were erected. For the first time, the lighting ceremony included a skating competition on the newly opened Rockefeller Plaza Outdoor Ice Skating Pond.
• 1942 – Three trees were placed in Rockefeller Plaza, one decorated in red, one in white and one in blue to show support for our troops who served during World War II.
• 1949 – The tree was painted silver to look like snow.
• 1951 – The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was lit for the first time on national television on the Kate Smith Show.
• 1966 – The first tree outside the USA was erected. It was given by Canada in honor of the centenary of its confederation. This is the longest distance a tree has traveled to Rockefeller Center.
• 1980 – For the 50th tree lighting, a 70-foot-tall (21.3 m) red spruce came from the grounds of Immaculate Conception Seminary of Mahwah, NJ. Bob Hope attended the lighting.
• 1999 – The largest tree in Rockefeller Center history, 100 feet tall, came from Killingworth, Connecticut.
• 2004 – The Swarovski-designed star became the largest star ever to grace the tree.
• 2007 – For the first time, the tree was illuminated with energy-efficient LEDs. They draw a fraction of the power traditionally required by wood and reduced energy consumption from 3,510 kwH to 1,297 kwH per day, saving as much energy as a family would use in a month in a 2,000 square meter home. Hundreds of solar panels on top of one of the Rockefeller Center buildings help power the new LEDs.
• 2021 – For the first time, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree comes from Maryland.

What happens to the Rockefeller Center tree after the holidays?

The tree will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is a long-term tenant of 30 Rockefeller Center.