If you want to see the tree going up (not the ceremony, just the hoisting), you have to stalk the Rockefeller Center website like a groupie. They announce the date a week before, usually in early November. Show up at 5 a.m. in a parka, bring coffee, and prepare to watch a very slow, very boring, yet oddly fascinating process as a crane lifts a tree for three hours.
Or, you can just wait until it’s up and take a picture from across the street while eating a $14 hot dog. Both options are valid. Just remember: the tree goes up mid-November, lights up in early December, and leaves us in mid-January. It’s a brief, beautiful, chaotic romance. And we love it every single time.
Now, go forth and impress your friends with this knowledge. You’re welcome.
