Queensbury tree brightens New York City - Glens Falls Post Star

[Rhiannon12866]

The 82-foot-tall, 14-ton Norway spruce from the Lebowitz family of Queensbury was lighted in Rockefeller Center on Wednesday night.

Neil Lebowitz donated the tree in early November to the center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze.

Members of the Lebowitz family were in attendance of the lighting and were able to watch the switch be flipped for the tree strung up with over 50,000 multi-colored energy-efficient LED lights.

Special celebrity appearances and performances at the lighting included Jimmie Allen, Andrea Bocelli along with Matteo Bocelli and Virginia Bocelli, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Brett Eldredge, Mickey Guyton, Alicia Keys, “The Muppets of Sesame Street,” Dan + Shay, Blake Shelton, The Shindellas, Gwen Stefani and Louis York.

The evening also included a performance by the Radio City Rockettes and a special appearance by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.

For the 19th year in a row, a Swarovski Star tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The star, which debuted in 2018, is made up of 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals, is nearly 9 and a half feet in diameter, and weighs 900 pounds.

Spectators can view the lighted tree each day from 6 a.m. to midnight, all day (24 hours) on Christmas, and from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

The tree was harvested on Nov. 10 from property along Main Street, Queensbury, and arrived in New York City on Nov. 12, where it was raised into place in front of a crowd of spectators.

Local residents gathered along with local TV station crews to watch the tree being cut on a cold Thursday morning.

The tree, for a portion of time, was suspended in mid-air from a crane, and workers were dispersed on the grounds, tugging on ropes secured to the base of branches. The tree traveled down the highway at a maximum of 40 mph to avoid bouncing while on the flatbed.

Lebowitz, on the day of the cutting, commended the community for their cheery spirits.

“What I have seen is an incredible amount of civic pride and how people are really excited about it and it’s been eye-opening to see,” he said.

Even prior to the tree’s cutting, people were traveling from near and far to witness the 50-foot-wide tree prior to the cutting ceremony.

Christine France of Queensbury had stopped by on the morning of Nov. 7 to have her own testimony of the historic spruce.

“It’s amazing to see such a fabulous and glamorous ending to a tree. It made me stop dead in my tracks when I saw the Rockefeller Center barricade,” she said. “I think a lot of people are seeing how nice it is up here.”


(Short article, no more at link): https://poststar.com/news/local/queensbury-tree-brightens-new-york-city/article_54ad0688-7196-11ed-b1a7-8f7fcab0d68b.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage




The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree as it stands lit during the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night. The lighted tree, which was cut in Queensbury and transported to New York City, will be on display through mid-January. Diane Bondareff, Associated Press

[SheltieLover]

1. Beautiful, but why do they chop down trees for this bs?

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I know, I had the same thought.

And what do they do with it afterwards, make souvenir furniture? A old and giant tree died on the property where my doctors' offices are - and so one of the founding doctors did exactly that, made some beautiful tables to remember that tree. There was a photo display in the main office of the tree and what he did to commemorate it.

[SheltieLover]

7. Your doctors must be incredibly normal!

It's been a pet peeve of mine for decades, this business of chopping down trees, then celebrating it. Wtf? Sort of like celebrating Columbus Day, in a way.

[montanacowboy]

3. I think it's a crime

to destroy a magnificent tree for this several week holiday binge. I hate it every time I see one of these treasures killed and gone forever for what.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I know, that was my first reaction as well.

And as I said upthread, what do they do with this magnificent tree afterwards?

[SheltieLover]

9. Absolutely!

[patphil]

5. I attended high school at Saint Mary's Academy in Glens Falls, NY

I lived in Hudson Falls, a few miles away, and, since it was the only Catholic High School around, a whole bus load of us went to high school there.
Queensbury is adjacent to Glens Falls...you can't tell where one ends and the other starts.
It feels good to know that wonderful tree came from the Glens Falls area. It's a great small city in a great part of New York State.
I'm not at all concerned that the tree was cut down. It's a symbol of joy, love, and unity for people...something that lifts the spirits of so many who see it.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. And I went to Queensbury, but I had many friends who went to St. Mary's

Neighbors (who went on my bus), high school friends - and I even had friends in college who were St. Mary's grads, great since we could ride back to school together. And my grandmother lived in Hudson Falls. I currently live not far from West Mountain. Thanks for checking in!

[patphil]

8. Yeah, I'm down state now, in the Chester area.

I have family in Queensbury and Hudson Falls.
Lake George was my go to place in the summer.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Very cool! They may be neighbors, it's a great place to live except I'm not a fan of the winters.

And I still go to Lake George, attend a couple of meetings up there. And it was as packed as ever in the summer. But it's now the off-season, and I'm used to seeing it deserted now, but they've started up some winter activities there - and just last week they had a ceremony for their magnificent light display in the park right on Canada Street. They do an awesome job with those lights every year...