The unofficial start of the holiday season is just hours away — as the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is set to be lit Wednesday night!
The 50-foot wide, 14-ton tree was brought down to NYC from Queensbury, New York, on a flatbed truck where it was erected at Rockefeller Center on Nov. 14. The tree, believed to be about 85 to 90 years old, was donated by the Lebowitz family of Glen Falls.
Once it completed the roughly 200-mile trek to Manhattan, teams unfolded and hoisted this year's 82-foot tall Norway Spruce into place.
The tree was dressed with more than 50,000 LED lights on five miles of wire and topped with a Swarovski crystal star. The three-dimensional Swarovski star, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018, weighs about 900 pounds and features 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals. The star's diameter is 9 feet, 4 inches.
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After Nov. 30, the lights on the tree will be lit everyday from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. On Christmas Day, the tree stays on for 24 hours.
Once the season ends, the tree will be taken down and milled into lumber that is donated to Habitat for Humanity.
Where Can I Watch?
The holiday icon will be lit at 10 p.m. in a live broadcast on NBC. NBC New York's coverage begins at 7 p.m., with national coverage from 8-10 p.m. It will also be streaming on Peacock.
The best view will likely be from your home, or anywhere inside, as weather is expected to be a bit tricky for much of Wednesday. It will be wet and very windy throughout the day, and once the rains die down, the temperatures are expected to fall, quickly.
For those who are looking to come see the Tree Lighting in person, bring jackets, as temperatures will be in the 40s. Viewing is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
More Holidays
Street Closures
The NYPD will close 49th Street and 50th Street near Rockefeller Center starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday. At 1 p.m., 48th Street and 51st Street will also be closed.
After the tree is lit, 49th and 50th Streets near Rockefeller Center will be closed to vehicles every day from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Fifth Avenue will also be closed for pedestrians only on three Sundays in December: Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
What about the weather?
Mother Nature won't be cooperating much in terms of weather as NYC looks to kick off the holiday season, bringing heavy rain and powerful gusty winds in the lead-up to the big reveal — and then temperatures will get chilly, fast.
For the latest forecast ahead of the Rockefeller Tree lighting ceremony, click here.
