Rockefeller Center picks its 2026 Christmas tree: a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, N.Y.

New York's holiday season has its centerpiece. Rockefeller Center said Monday that its 2026 Christmas tree is a Norway spruce from West Edmeston, a small town in central New York, ABC7 reported.

The tree

The spruce was donated by Rebecca Decker and is about 75 years old, according to amNY. It stands roughly 76 feet tall, measures about 50 feet across and weighs around 11 tons. West Edmeston sits about 200 miles north of Manhattan, amNY said. Trees picked for the plaza are usually near their maximum height and outgrowing the property they stand on; the donor's land gets new trees or other greenery after the cut.

Key dates

• Thursday, Nov. 5: the tree is cut down upstate.
• Saturday, Nov. 7: it arrives at Rockefeller Plaza after a slow trip south. Rockefeller Center is marking the arrival with Meet the Tree Day, a free event on the plaza.
• Wednesday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m.: the lighting, during the live Christmas in Rockefeller Center broadcast.
• Through Jan. 9, 2027: the tree stays on display, visible from the plaza and from The Rink at Rockefeller Center.

Once it is up, crews will wrap the tree in more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights, about five miles of wiring, and top it with the Swarovski star, ABC7 and amNY reported. Visiting hours and other details have not been announced yet.

After the holidays

The tree will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity, which uses the wood to build and repair homes for families, both outlets said.

The rink below the tree is already open for its 90th season; see our earlier story for skating details.