It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year at Rockefeller Center.
This holiday season’s most famous Christmas tree arrived Saturday morning, having made the 150-mile journey to midtown Manhattan from just outside of Albany.
The 75-foot, 11-foot Norway Spruce was delivered to 30 Rockefeller Plaza by flatbed truck as onlookers lined the street.
The tree will soon be surrounded by scaffolding so crews can wrap it in 50,000 lights and top it with a nearly one-ton star for its shining moment. The tree-lighting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 3 during a ceremony airing on NBC and Peacock.
This year’s tree was donated by the Russ family of East Greenbush, New York – where it stood on a generational family property for over 60 years.
Judy Russ and her son Liam, 7, pose in front of the wrapped 75-foot tall Norway Spruce that the Russ family donated to serve as this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in East Greenbush, NY. (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer)
Judy Russ, after visiting Rockefeller Center last holiday season with her son Liam, submitted the tree for consideration to honor her late husband Dan, who died at the age of 32 in 2020.
Dan’s great grandparents Edward and Mattie May Doran purchased the property over a century ago and planted the tree decades later. After Judy and Dan moved into the house in 2017, they’d joke about renting a crane to decorate it for Christmas, or perhaps even one having it be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
“Donating the tree is a way to honor my late husband Dan and all of our family members who have passed,” Judy Russ said. “I’m excited to make more cherished memories with my family and childhood friends as it becomes the world’s Christmas tree.”
Russ’ friend’s father, a former Rockefeller Center security supervisor, texted a picture of the tree to Rockefeller Center’s head gardener Erik Pauze, who has selected the tree each holiday season for the last 30-plus years.
“I got a text of a picture from an old buddy of mine who I used to work with at Rockefeller Center,” Pauze told NBC Local. “I said, ‘Where’s that?’ and when he told me I said, ‘Wow! I’m pretty close. I’ll be there tomorrow.’”
He was there again Thursday, and this time he brought the tree back to New York City with him. The tree — which stood next to the garage on the family property and served as a jungle gym for seven-year-old Liam — was wrapped, cut down by chainsaw and lowered onto a flatbed truck.
Pauze rode int he truck’s passenger seat as the tree made its way over the bridge, into Manhattan, and down 49th Street to its new holiday home.
“It became a perfect tree to be in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza,” Pauze said. “And it became a tree from a family generational property. So, it’s a good way to remember their family, as well, and that’s one of the reasons they wanted to donate the tree.”
Judy Russ, who grew up in New York City, and Liam were in attendance for the tree’s arrival Saturday. The two carried out the annual tradition of the tree doners using a sledgehammer to drive a spike into the center of the trunk before the tree is positioned into place on its stand.
“I’m excited that the whole world can see it,” Liam previously told TODAY.
The tree will stand as the ultimate symbol of Christmas spirit, while also paying tribute to Dan Russ and his ancestors.
“Spread joy, spread cheer, love one another. Think of our family, think of my husband, think of us,” Judy Russ said. “We’re just happy to share it with everybody.”
“I know he would have loved to have been here for this moment,” Judy Russ told TODAY. “We always talked about it being the [Rockefeller Center] tree. It’s so special that my family’s tree gets to be America’s, if not the world’s, Christmas tree.”