NBC Airs Rockefeller Tree Lighting and Nashville Special

New York City ushered in the holiday season on Wednesday evening with the illumination of its iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, followed immediately by a star-studded country music special broadcast from Nashville. The events, aired live on NBC, drew crowds of locals and tourists despite chilly temperatures, blending tradition with contemporary performances to celebrate the festive spirit.

The 93rd annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place in Midtown Manhattan, where a 75-foot Norway spruce from East Greenbush in Rensselaer County was lit around 10 p.m. with 50,000 multicolored lights. The tree, which had grown in the backyard of Judy Russ and her family for 75 years, was donated in honor of her late husband, Dan Russ, who died in 2020 at age 32. Judy and her 7-year-old son, Liam, assisted in placing the tree on November 8, fulfilling a dream Dan had once shared about the spruce's potential grandeur.

Thousands braved hours-long lines and cold weather to witness the spectacle. Sharon Harvey, visiting from the United Kingdom as a 60th birthday gift from her sister Hannah, described the experience as magical after waiting since 3:30 p.m. "New...