It's Official: This Year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Has Been Chosen
One lucky tree is heading to the Big Apple! 🎄✨
Rockefeller Center announced that this year's Christmas tree has been chosen in Vestal, a town in upstate New York. The Norway spruce is approximately 80 to 85 years old, stands 80 feet tall and 43 feet wide, and weighs a whopping 12 tons.
Each Christmas tree is hand-selected by Erik Pauze, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center, whose sole responsibility is to scout, spruce up, and transport the tree to its rightful place in midtown. (Sounds like a real life Santa Claus!) He said that when he saw the tree standing in the McGinley family's yard, he knew he'd found the *perfect* pick for 2023.
"What I look for is a tree you would want in your living room, but on a grander scale. It's got that nice, perfect shape all around," he explained to The Center Magazine. "And most of all, it's gotta look good for those kids who turn the corner at 30 Rock; it needs to instantly put a huge smile on their faces. It needs to evoke that feeling of happiness."
The tree is scheduled to arrive in New York City on November 11 where it will be trimmed from top to bottom for a big reveal later in the month. Workers will cover it in 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and a glittering Swarovski star.
It's one of America's most beloved holiday traditions, drawing in crowds from all over the country. And in recent years, it's grown into its own showstopping event on par with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday, November 29, will mark the tree's big debut for the holiday season along with live music and a performance by the Radio City Rockettes.
If you plan to visit New York during the most wonderful time of the year, the tree will be lit every day until January 13. That's plenty of time to see it for yourself in the name of holiday cheer!
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