Photo courtesy of Tishman Speyer
Just call the Hudson Valley the “Christmas tree capital of the world.”
Well, of Rockefeller Center anyway.
For yet another year, the New York City center selected its 2019 tree from among the spruces of the Hudson Valley. Last year, it plucked a 12-ton, 72-foot-tall beauty from the Town of Wallkill to kick off the holiday festivities in the Big Apple.
For 2019, the 70-plus-year-old Norway spruce destined for NYC also comes from Orange County. It’s currently rooted in the village of Florida, with the cut-down scheduled for November 7 (with a new tree set to be planted in its place).
Two days later, the 77-foot mammoth will arrive at its new home in Rockefeller Center. From there, it will be wrapped from top to bottom with more than 50,000 rainbow-hued, energy efficient LED lights on five miles of wire to twinkle throughout the season. As for the crowning jewel, a Swarovski star will adorn the sky-high stunner, which makes its glowing debut on the live broadcast of “Christmas in Rockefeller,” scheduled to air on December 4.
As for how Rockefeller Center picks the perfect pine, it’s a community effort. After culling through submissions from community members and talking over potential prospects with head gardener Erik Pauze, the Center narrows down the applicant pool to one top-of-the-line pine.
Want to see the towering green beauty up close? The Rockefeller tree will remain on display through the holiday season until January 17, when it will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for use as lumber in building projects. In other words, there’s more than enough time to plan a winter escapade to see the spruce, ogle the window displays, and channel your inner Eloise at Christmastime.
