Rockefeller Christmas tree 2021 illuminated
NEW YORK - The holly, jolly, best time of the year got a light-filled launch on Wednesday when the towering Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was officially turned on.
The 79-foot (24-meter) Norway spruce, covered with more than 50,000 lights in a rainbow of colors and bearing a crystal-covered, 900-pound (400-kilogram) star, was lit in a midtown Manhattan ceremony again open to the public, in contrast with last year's virus-impacted event.
The lighting was televised on NBC. Among the musical performances were Harry Connick Jr., Norah Jones, Brad Paisley, and Alessia Cara. The high-kicking Radio City Rockettes were also part of the celebration.
This year's tree came from Elkton, Maryland, where it stood for more than 80 years outside a family home.
Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app! | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters
Starting on December 2, the tree will be lit daily from 6 a.m. until midnight. On Christmas Day, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve, it is lit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The first Christmas tree was placed in Rockefeller Center by men working there in 1931.
RELATED: Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrives in NYC - FOX 5 NY
It will be donated to Habitat for Humanity at the end of the holiday season to be turned into lumber to build homes.
A view of Rockefeller Center during the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 01, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
With the Associated Press