For the past 91 years, 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City has been illuminated by the glow of a Christmas tree. NBC will kick off the 2024 holiday season with “Christmas at Rockefeller Center,” a live broadcast of the tree lighting. The December 4 celebration will also feature performances from Kelly Clarkson, The Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Little Big Town, Thalia, The Radio City Rockettes, and first-time 2024 Grammy nominee RAYE.
Last week, this year’s Norway Spruce arrived for all its trimmings, including more than 50,000 LED lights and a Swarovski crystal star, with a particularly heartwarming story.
57 years ago, newlyweds Earl Albert and his late wife Leslie planted a sapling in their West Stockbridge, Massachusetts yard. As their love grew, so did the tree, eventually reaching heights of 74 feet. Only days after Leslie’s passing in 2020, Rockefeller Center’s chief gardener, Erik Pauze was exploring the Berkshire County town and was stopped in his tracks by the spruce. His timely arrival made Earle’s son Michael question whether Pauze was “an angel or something,” while his request to bring the tree to 30 Rock made Earl’s other son, Shawn, deem it his mom’s “handiwork.” Earl said his wife would be “thrilled” by the tribute.
The Albert family will be on hand to flip the switch for the tree lighting ceremony, which will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock on Wednesday, December 4 from 8-10 pm ET.
According to the Rockefeller Center website, the tree will be on view from December 4th through mid-January, and will be illuminated daily from 5 am – midnight. However, “on Christmas Eve the Tree will be lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it will be lit from 5am-9pm.”
Featured photo Courtesy of NBC
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.