Upstate Spruce Chosen To Be ‘The Tree’ At Rockefeller Center

An upstate tree chosen for Xmas display at Rockefeller Center

A massive, 12-ton, 80-feet Norway Spruce that was grown here in Upstate NY is headed to NYC's Rockefeller Center where in a few weeks, it'll be the most viewed Xmas tree in the world.

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Each year a tree from New York is chosen to be the centerpiece of Christmas at Rockefeller Center, and this year's tree is a massive Spruce that was grown in Vestal, New York, about 2 hours southwest of Albany, near Binghamton.

"The 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be cut down from Vestal on Thursday, Nov. 9, before it travels roughly 200 miles to Manhattan. It will arrive in the plaza on Saturday, Nov. 11, to be hoisted into place." NBC New York 

How big and how old is this tree?

According to NBC New York, this year's tree is an 80-year-old Norway Spruce that also happens to be 80 feet tall and 43 feet wide!  Weighing a total of 12 tons, the source says that the tree will be cut down later this week and will arrive in the Plaza on Saturday, November 11th

When will it be lit?

The "official" kickoff to Xmas down in NYC starts with the annual tree lighting in the heart of New York City at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, November 29.

The tree, widely regarded as the “worldwide symbol of Christmas,” will feature more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs which equals over 5 miles of cords!  It will then be crowned with a 9-foot, 900-pound Swarovski star covered in 3 million crystals.