The 2024 Rockefeller Christmas tree has been chosen.
The 74-foot tall Norway spruce from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, will arrive at Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 9.
The tree stands 43 feet in diameter and weighs about 11 tons, and is approximately 70 years old.
Erik Pauze, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center, said in an interview he had been thinking about this year’s tree for more than four years.
“The process (for this year’s Tree) began in July 2020. I came from getting gas after staying overnight Tree searching. I saw the beautiful Norway Spruce as I drove down the road, and it was right in front of me,” Pauze said. “I knocked on the door and met Earl Albert. I asked if he would someday consider donating the Tree to Rockefeller Center. His answer was immediately yes.”
After selecting the tree, he would drive by it every so often to check on it, Pauze explained.
“In the spring of this year, I decided to call Earl and ask if I could start feeding it and watering it,” he said. “I came up quite often to feed the Tree, and every time I got out of the car, I smiled and knew it was the right one for Rockefeller Center.”
Once the tree arrives on the plaza, it will be adorned with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on some five miles of wire.
Then it will be topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. The 9-foot star weighs about 900 pounds and has 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals.
The tree was donated by the Albert family from Berkshire County in Massachusetts. Here’s what to know.
Where is the Rockefeller tree located?
The Rockefeller Christmas tree is located in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. It’s situated above the iconic Rink at Rockefeller Center between 49th and 50th Streets, and 5th and 6th Avenues.
This year’s Rockefeller Christmas tree arrives on Saturday, Nov. 9. The tree will come on a flatbed truck and will be lifted by a crane into place.
When is the Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony?
The Rockefeller tree lighting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
When does the Rockefeller tree come down?
The tree will be available to view until mid-January in 2025. Once it’s taken down, the tree is set to be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
