As the kids say, it will be lit Wednesday night in Manhattan and Flanders.
The annual lightings of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and the Big Duck in Flanders are both scheduled for ceremonies from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
The tree in midtown Manhattan, a Norway spruce, came from upstate East Greenbush, in Rensselaer County, a suburb of Albany, on Nov. 8, and will be adorned with more than “50,000 multicolored, energy efficient LED lights,” according to the Rockefeller Center website. The lighting of the 75-foot tree, which will be topped with a Swarovski crystal star weighing more than 900 pounds, will be open to the public and broadcast live on NBC.
The tree, which is about 75 years old, will be at Rockefeller Center until mid-January. It will then be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity and used for home building.
The Big Duck is lit for the season in 2023. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Suffolk County did not respond to a request for comment on more information regarding the lighting of the Big Duck, which is 20 feet tall, 30 feet long and 18 feet wide, Newsday previously reported. Residents typically show up to watch the lighting in person, a tradition that started in 1988.
“It’s a yearly tradition, a fun family event,” Town of Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said in 2023. “The duck is iconic to Suffolk County, but it’s also a beloved symbol of the Flanders-Riverhead community — and, while it’s celebrated throughout the year, the lighting at The Big Duck really is a moment. It’s certainly going to be different from the lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center.”
The Big Duck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and overlooks Reeves Bay in Flanders.
It was built by Long Island duck farmer Martin Maurer in 1931 — the same year the first Christmas tree was staged at Rockefeller Center.
Those interested in attending either of the two lightings likely won’t have to worry about getting wet.
James Tomasini, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said it will be dry Wednesday afternoon and evening in both Manhattan and Flanders, with temperatures in the low to mid-30s.
“There’s no real wind concern, should be a lighter wind at that time,” Tomasini said, adding there will be “mostly clear skies at that time.”
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.