2025 Rockefeller Tree Arrives, Honors Late Husband

The iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived in New York City on Saturday, marking the start of the 2025 holiday season with a 75-foot Norway spruce donated by a family from East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany. The tree, weighing 11 tons, completed a 150-mile journey from upstate New York after being cut down on Thursday at the donors' farm.

Judy Russ and her seven-year-old son, Liam, selected the spruce to honor Russ's late husband, Dan Russ, who died in 2020 at age 32. The tree, planted about 75 years ago by Dan Russ's great-grandparents, held special significance for the family. It served as a backyard landmark and play area for Liam before the Russ family moved to the property in 2017. Judy Russ submitted photos of the tree to organizers last year during a visit to Rockefeller Center with her son, leading to its selection by head gardener Erik Pauze after a site visit.

Crews transported the spruce on a flatbed truck through Midtown Manhattan, drawing crowds of onlookers who gathered with coffee and smartphones to watch the arrival at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Workers used cranes to hoist the massive tree into position overlooking the plaza's famous ice skating rink, a...