Rockefeller Center's 2019 Christmas Tree Arrives In NYC Saturday

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The giant Norway Spruce selected to be this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be raised into position Saturday morning after a two-day journey on the back of a trailer.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree's arrival in Midtown will signify the coming of the 2019 holiday season, and the waves of tourists that flock to New York City each year during winter. Rockefeller Center officials expect the tree to arrive in Manhattan around 7 a.m. Saturday and be in place by 9 a.m.

The two-hour installation includes driving a spike into the tree's trunk with a sledgehammer and hoisting it into position with a construction crane. Once the tree is raised in Manhattan, it will be decked out with more than 50,000 multi-color LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski crystal star.

The village of Florida is just about 63 miles away from Rockefeller Center — about a one-and-a-half-hour drive — but the business of transporting a giant tree on a 115-foot-long trailer can't be rushed.

This year's tree-lighting event will be free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who'd rather take in the spectacle from their comfort of their living rooms can watch the annual NBC broadcast, which traditionally features New York City's mayor, a performance by the Rockettes and a number of musical guests. The annual tree-lighting ceremony will be broadcast on Dec. 4. On Jan. 17, the tree will be taken down to signal the coming end of winter in New York.