The Rockefeller Center in New York had its 90th anniversary Christmas tree lighting on November 30, 2022. With performances by Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stafani, the Radio City Rockettes, and more, people worldwide watched as the lights flicked on.

This year’s tree was found in Queensbury, New York on a plot of empty land. To find the perfect tree to show off to the world, Head Gardener Erik Pauzé visits numerous places throughout the tri-state area and looks through unique backyard trees. There is also a way to submit trees through the Rockefeller Center website to put up for consideration. When looking at the many different trees, the gardeners evaluate them by the Christmas tree shape, ability to support hundreds of pounds of ornaments, and heartiness. The trees featured over the past years have usually been Norway Spruces ranging from 69-100 feet from New York and states around it like  New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. The only time the tree wasn’t from the U.S. was in 1966, the Rockefeller Center brought in a tree from Ontario, Canada. The largest tree showcased in Rockefeller’s history was a 100-foot-tall tree in 1999 from Killingworth, Connecticut. 

This year, Pauzé had to search for the owner of the land. Once connected, owner Neal Lebowitz shared he purchased the area as an investment property so he didn’t pay much attention to it. Because of this, he was willing to donate the tree to the  Rockefeller Center. Lebowitz stated, “If it can bring a smile on a little child or help cheer up someone’s little blue, it’s all worth it.” 

The tree is a Norway Spruce that is 14 tons, 82 feet tall, and 90 years old. It is strung with 50,000 multi-colored LED bulbs and has a Swarovski star with 3 million crystals placed at the top. The tree will be brought down in the first weeks of January, but there is no official date.

Once the display is taken down after New Year’s, it will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that works toward building families affordable housing. 

Over the years, around 125 million people visit this spectacular every year. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting is a tradition that is the symbol of the holidays starting and a new year coming. People cross-country fly out to experience the lighting in person, gathering in the crowd and making sure not to miss the lights turning on. Mrs. Zywiciel (S) expressed, “I think that the tree lighting creates a magical atmosphere that everyone worldwide [can] enjoy.”