Stores are still filled with pumpkins and candy, but New York is already getting into the Christmas spirit. This week, officials revealed the pick for the 2024 Rockefeller Center tree: an 11-ton Norway spruce, standing 74 feet tall and 43 feet wide.
The tree will travel from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, to New York City early next month, arriving in the famed plaza on Nov. 9. It’s the first time since 1959 that the center’s tree hails from The Bay State, and picking it out was no small feat.
Erik Pauze is Rockefeller’s head gardener and “veritable Santa Claus of Christmas trees,” per the center. He’s been instrumental in selecting, nurturing, and transporting the iconic tree for the past three decades.
“It’s somewhat different every year,” the horticulturist said of the process. “Typically, the timeline is that all year, almost every day, I’m thinking about this year’s tree, next year’s tree, and maybe the tree after that.”
“The process [for this year’s tree] began in July 2020,” he continued. “I came from getting gas after staying overnight tree searching. I saw the beautiful Norway spruce as I drove down the road, and it was right in front of me.”
So what made him so certain this one was the tree? Apparently, his criteria is similar to what your own family’s or friends’ might be.
Erik Pauze
“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,” Pauze explained. “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.”
Additionally, the perfect tree for the plaza should ideally be in the later stage of its life cycle — 2024’s is around 70 years old. When it comes down at the end of the holiday season, lumber milled from the spruce will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.
A host of family-friendly festivities are planned for the day the tree arrives at Rockefeller Center, including musical performances, book readings, caricature drawing, and of course, a visit from Santa Claus and his elves.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, Rockefeller’s tree lighting ceremony will take place — an annual tradition since 1933 — and will be broadcast live as part of the Christmas in Rockefeller Center television special. Over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights will adorn the spruce, with a massive Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and features more than 3 million crystals topping it.
Following the ceremony, the tree will be illuminated daily from 5 a.m. ET to midnight until Christmas Eve, when it will stay lit for 24 hours. It will remain on display through mid-January.
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