Rockefeller Center’s 2026 Christmas tree arrives in Manhattan

The 76-foot Norway spruce chosen for Rockefeller Center’s 2026 Christmas display arrived in Manhattan Friday night after being cut in West Edmeston, New York, and transported south on a flatbed truck. The tree is scheduled to be lit during a televised ceremony on Dec. 2.

The tree, about 75 years old and weighing roughly 11 tons, was selected by Rockefeller Center head gardener Erik Pauze and donated by West Edmeston resident Rebecca Decker, according to Rockefeller Center. It measures about 50 feet in diameter. Crews hoisted it onto the truck with a crane before beginning the journey of about 200 miles to Midtown Manhattan.

The tree had been expected to arrive Saturday, Nov. 7, but a report from Manhattan said it reached the city Friday night. Earlier Friday evening, it was reported on the New York State Thruway, about 15 minutes from the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, as it continued toward the city.

Rockefeller Center plans to decorate the spruce with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and place a 900-pound Swarovski star on top. The lighting ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 7 to 10 p.m. Eastern time, as part of a televised holiday special. The planned date and...