Watch the Spruce Tree Light Up – NBC New York

The lights at Rockefeller Center are bright as the 11-ton spruce tree outside shines once again with tens of thousands of LED lights to mark the holiday season.

While Christmas and holiday decorations have been popping up around New York City in recent weeks, none represent the start of the season and the spirit of NYC quite like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

This year’s tree comes from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts – the first tree from that state since 1959. The tree is an 11-ton spruce that stands 74 feet tall and 43 feet wide. A Swarovski star crown sparkling with 3 million crystals completes the look.

Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree features more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights connected by approximately five miles of cable.

Photos: Star-studded artists delight at the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center

The annual Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center didn’t just attract people. There were some snow flurries during some star-studded performances next to the legendary ice skating rink.

Here is a list of the evening’s artists:

• Kelly Clarkson
• The Backstreet Boys
• Dan + Shay
• Megan Hilty
• Jennifer Hudson
• Coco Jones
• Small big city
• RAYE
• Thalia
• The Radio City Rockettes

When is the Rockefeller Christmas tree lit each day?

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.

On Christmas Eve the tree is lit for a full 24 hours, while on New Year’s Eve the spruce tree is lit from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m

How long will the Rockefeller Christmas tree last?

Rockefeller’s Christmas tree will be open to the public until mid-January 2025.

What happens to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree after it falls down?

The tree not only brings Christmas joy, but also provides living space.

When the tree is cut down, it will be placed in Rockefeller Plaza to be cut up and taken to a garden in New Jersey. There it is milled into two by four and two by six bars and stamped with a Rockefeller Center stamp. Tishman Speyer, the company that owns and operates Rockefeller Center, then donates the wood to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that helps build and improve homes across the country.