Let's decorate the hall.
It's that time of year when the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is illuminated.
2024 will be the 93rd year of this tradition.
According to NBC, more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights will shine from the impressive tall tree.
Above it is a Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and first used in 2018.
Here's everything you need to know about the seasonal event.
How to watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony live
The area surrounding Rockefeller Center is a public area. The tree is located above the Rockefeller Center skating rink between 49th and 50th Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues.
However, if you want to get closer to the tree, you can purchase one. event tickets. There is also VIP tickets.
How to watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on TV or streaming
Coverage begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NBC New York with “Christmas at Rockefeller Center,” hosted by Natalie Pasqualera, David Ashely and Mario Lopez.
The national show begins on NBC at 8pm ET when the Rockefeller Center ceremony begins.
It will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock. The program is a two-hour special titled “Christmas at Rockefeller Center.”
For the first time, Spanish-language viewers can also watch Telemundo's 9 p.m. simulcast of “Navidades an Rockefeller Center” along with the live broadcast.
The tree will be lit at the end of the two-hour program, shortly before 10 p.m.
Who will perform at the tree lighting ceremony??
Kelly Clarkson will once again host the lighting ceremony and the TV special “Christmas at Rockefeller Center.” The talk show host and former “American Idol” star first appeared at the ceremony more than 20 years ago.
“I love the holidays here in New York,” Clarkson said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
She added: “Living here during Christmas is like being in a movie. There's nothing like it in the world, especially the tree lighting ceremony.”
Clarkson will be joined by Today co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin.
There will be musical performances by the Radio City Rockettes, the Backstreet Boys, Broadway stars Megan Hilty and Jennifer Hudson, and country duo Dan + Shay and Talia.
Which roads will be closed for the tree lighting ceremony??
According to the NYPD, there will be a traffic closure on 46th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 51st Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Rockefeller Plaza is located between 48th and 51st Streets. 6th Avenue between 46th and 52nd Streets and 5th Avenue between 46th and 52nd Streets.
How is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree chosen??
Eric Pause, head gardener at Rockefeller Center, has been scouting and transporting the tree for more than 30 years. He began working as a summer helper at Rockefeller Center in 1988 while in college. He spoke to the center's magazine.
The 58-year-old Long Islander told the Post that he searches for “easily” 100 trees within a six-state radius each year.
He told the Post he had been eyeing this year's tree since 2020.
“I showed up and watched over those four years.”
“This year was just right,” Pause said after getting to know the tree and its owner, making sure it was well-cared for and overseeing future prizes to be great.
Pose about his process told Rockefeller Center magazine“Every year is a little different. Typically, the timeline is, almost every day of the year, I'm thinking about this year's tree, next year's tree, and maybe the tree after that. ”
He said he was looking for “a tree that I would want in my living room” on a more “grand” scale.
“It's overall nice and in perfect shape. And most of all, it has to look great for the kids who turn the corner at 30 Rock. It has to instantly put a big smile on their faces. There is a need to evoke that sense of well-being. Norway Spruce is outstanding in terms of the scale it can achieve. It can hold light in its branches and stand there beautifully and proudly as a tree should. Masu.”
This year's tree is the first from Massachusetts since 1959. It is a 74-foot tall, 43-foot wide Norway spruce from West Stockbridge, and reportedly weighs 11 tons.
How long will the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree be decorated and when will it be lit??
It arrived at Rockefeller Center on November 9th and will be lit from 5 a.m. to midnight every day. It will be lit 24 hours a day on Christmas Eve. It is scheduled to run until mid-January 2025.
What will happen to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree once the holiday season is over??
Once the trees are felled, they are cut and processed into beams. Tishman Speyer, the company that owns and operates Rockefeller Center, is donating the wood to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit homebuilding organization. Therefore, it is used to build homes for people in need.
What happened last year and are there any plans for protests this year??
Last year, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the streets around Rockefeller Center. They gathered on Sixth Avenue waving Palestinian flags and holding placards.
Demonstrators also chanted “River to Sea”, long considered an anti-Semitic slogan, in support of Gaza and canceling the annual tree lighting.
Additional NYPD units were called in, a law enforcement official told the Post at the time, adding that officers were under attack. The protests eventually subsided just an hour after the ceremony began.
