Christmas Tree Lighting Events in New York City

My first winters in New York City were highlighted by the city's Christmas spectacle. Among the most memorable were the beautiful and grand scale Christmas tree lighting events throughout the city. This year the annual Christmas tree lighting continues. Two of the best are the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting and the "Holiday in Bryant Park". The best part is that admission is free and fun for the entire family.

• Rockefeller Christmas Tree - Wednesday, December 2nd

The lighting of the world famous Rockefeller Christmas tree is a star studded televised event each year.
The 2009 lighting will include celebrity performances from 7:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m.

Growing up near forests, I was amazed at the size of the Rockefeller tree. In 2008 the tree was a 72-foot Norway spruce and weighed eight tons. The 2009 tree will stand 76 ft. tall and weigh ten tons. According to Now Public, the 2008 tree was 40 feet round and "...decorated with 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights on 5 miles of wire, topped with a massive crystal star. It was donated by the Varanyak family in Hamilton Township, N.J." I had a chance to see the model of the Rockefeller Center's light grid in the lobby of the center last year and was surprised to find this entire display used solar power.

In addition to the tree lighting, Rockefeller center has an underground shopping mall, eateries and restrooms available. There is a skating rink, Top of The Rock and NBC Studio tour on the grounds as well.

The tree will be lit daily from 5:30 a.m. till 11:30 p.m. 24 hours on Christmas Day, 5:30 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The tree will be lit until January 7th, 2010.

• "The Holiday in Bryant Park" - Bryant Park - Tuesday, December 2nd

Bryant Park is one of my favorite New York City parks. Expansive for a city park, it is complete with a pond and holiday shops. The holiday shops website boasts, "100 boutiques, artisans, designers, and food merchants from around the world." I love watching people board the French-style carousel. There are chess tables, gardens, a seasonal planting display and places to eat.

The tree comes from Quebec and is a 55 foot balsam fir tree. There will be 3,000 ornaments and 30,000 white lights. The Christmas tree lighting begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Pond at Bryant Park Christmas tree lighting is part of a live televised event by WCBS-TV. This year the event will be hosted by WCBS anchors Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson. Performances by pop and Broadway stars will make this event special.

According to Bryant Park's official website musical performances will include the Barenaked Ladies, Michael Feinstein, Cheyenne Jackson an award winning Broadway star and the Canadian Tenors. There will also be several ice skating performances by Olympic gold medalists, World medalists and a synchronized skating troupe.

Sources:

http://www.rockefellercenter.com/index.php/section/5#/5/-1/-1/86/
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/hamilton_tree_fheaded_or_rocke.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ivE9G8JKwGM3qANq3oAQlcRa65zAD9BTV1901
http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/rockefeller-christmas-tree-lights-tonight
http://www.lightingtrendsblog.com/2008/12/led-lights-illuminate-rockefeller.html
http://www.bryantpark.org/CALENDAR/events/event.php?event=984
http://www.bryantpark.org/amenities/shops.php