Watch Our Capital Region Tree Light Up Rockefeller Center Tonight

Tonight’s the night! The world is tuning in to see the Capital Region’s finest Norwegian Spruce on display for the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in New York City. The 82-foot-tall Norway Spruce was handpicked from Queensbury this year.

Cut down earlier this month, the tree arrived in NYC on November 12^th and was quickly covered in scaffolding so it could be properly decorated. Expect to be dazzled by more than 50,000 LED lights, with the star of the tree quite literally being the star. It has 90 pounds of three million Swarovski crystals on 70 spikes to crown all that Capital Region glory.

Ready For The Glow Up?

Speaking of stars, the Queensbury tree will have a star-studded musical lineup to celebrate the unofficial start of the season with Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Jimmie Allen, Jimmie Allen, Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys, and the Muppets all scheduled to perform. Mario Lopez will co-host the lighting with several members of NBC’s Today Show, covering for usual host Al Roker.

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The Queensbury tree is the 90^th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The tradition started in the 1930s when the Center’s workers pooled their money to buy a 20-foot-tree to display outside. The attraction was so popular that the next year the Center itself paid for the first massive tree to bring in holiday traffic.

Here's What You Need To Know To See The Tree

Meanwhile in modern day NYC, not everyone is sharing in the joy of Christmas traffic. New Yorkers are grumbling because of road closures around Rockefeller Center, including a fifty-year first – shutting down part of 5^th Avenue on Sundays for tourists.

You can watch the Capital Region spruce be lit live tonight on NBC (NewsChannel 13)’s Christmas At Rockefeller Center special from 8-10p.  If you want to see it live this season, the tree will be lit from 6am to midnight starting tonight through the New Year, granted it’s probably not as impressive during the day. On Christmas Day, the tree will be lit all 24 hours.