2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to be cut down in Maryland, arrives in NYC next week

2021's tree is an 85-year-old Norway Spruce that's 79 feet tall and weighs 12 tons.

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Thursday, November 4, 2021
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree's 88 years of history
AccuWeather takes us back to New York City in 1931 when the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was erected.

NEW YORK -- Meet the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree!

For the first time ever, the festive tree that will light up Midtown Manhattan is coming from Maryland.

The 79-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Elkton, located next to the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay, will be cut down on Thursday, Nov. 11.

This year's tree is approximately 85 years old and weighs 12 tons.

It's due to arrive by truck at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, Nov. 13.

After being wrapped with more than 50,000 multi-colored lights on five miles of wire and crowned with a 900-pounds Swarovski star, the spruce will be lit on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be on display to the public until Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022.

ALSO READ: History of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

The first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was erected in 1931 by Rockefeller Center workers who pooled money together for a 20-foot high balsam fir.

The inaugural lighting ceremony was held two years later and has become a New York City tradition ever since, according to Rockefeller Center.