New York City is one of the best places to go come holiday season. With the snowy weather, festive atmosphere, and holiday events, it is one of the top holiday destinations there is. One of the defining aspects of the holidays in the Big Apple is the Rockefeller Center and its massive, gorgeous Christmas tree. This immaculately-decorated tree is the biggest symbol of the season in New York and attracts millions of visitors every year. Bringing out the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been a huge tradition in New York for almost a century, and the lighting of that tree is another longstanding tradition that ushers in the start of the holiday season.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is an annual event attended by thousands and broadcast to millions more on television. The tree, which tends to be a Norwegian Spruce between 69 and 100 feet tall, is covered with lights and decorations. The tree lighting is the first moment of the year people get to witness the world’s most famous Christmas tree in all of its glory. The tree is normally lit by the city’s mayor in an exciting spectacle complete with performances.
This year, the lighting ceremony will take place on November 30th. Attendance for the lighting ceremony is not ticket-based but first-come, first-serve. Since this is a national event that attracts millions of viewers every year, you will need to arrive early if you want a good vantage point of the ceremony. There will be performances that begin at around 7:00 pm, and the actual lighting of the tree will take place between 9:00 and 10:00. It is recommended that people arrive by 3:00 pm if they want to enjoy a good view of the proceedings.
The lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree is always a star-studded event. In the past, performers for this occasion have included legendary musical artists such as Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Mariah Carey, and more. While the artists for this year’s lighting performance remain a surprise, it will likely be artists of this caliber. The event is hosted and broadcast live by NBC, so it has a glitzy, showy atmosphere that makes it all the more exciting.
The lighting of the tree ushers in the beginning of the holiday season in the city, as New York’s most famous Christmas landmark remains lit for the next month to celebrate the season. It is lit every day from 5:30 pm until midnight and lit for 24 hours on Christmas. It remains lit on New Year’s Eve and is taken down in the first week of January. Once the tree is lit and The Rink at Rockefeller Center opens, skating under the Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a quintessential New York experience that will produce holiday memories that last a lifetime.
