A spectacular Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Center is making its journey to New York City. This year’s centerpiece is a majestic 75-foot-tall Norway spruce, which was carefully cut down Thursday morning in East Greenbush, a suburb near Albany, positioned roughly 150 miles north of Manhattan.

Weighing in at 11 tons, the impressive tree was skillfully placed onto a 100-foot-long trailer as a crowd gathered to witness the event. Anticipation grows as it is set to reach 30 Rockefeller Plaza by Saturday, where it will stand proudly in front of the iconic midtown Art Deco skyscraper, overlooking the celebrated ice skating rink.

This holiday beacon will be adorned with over 50,000 vibrant, energy-efficient LED lights and topped with a gleaming Swarovski star, which weighs an astounding 900 pounds.

The lighting ceremony, slated for December 3, will be a live television event hosted by the renowned country music artist Reba McEntire. Visitors can enjoy the tree until mid-January, after which it will be transformed into lumber to support Habitat for Humanity, contributing to affordable housing projects.

It will be lighted on Dec. 3 during a live TV broadcast hosted by country music star Reba McEntire. It will be displayed until mid-January, after which it will be milled into lumber for use by the affordable housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.

The tree was donated by homeowner Judy Russ and her family. She said the tree was planted by her husband’s great-grandparents in the 1920s.

“For this to now become the center of New York City Christmas is incredible,” Russ told the radio station 1010 WINS.

The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up by workers in 1931 to raise spirits during the Great Depression. The comparatively modest, 20-foot-tall (6-meter-tall) balsam fir was outfitted with handmade garlands made by the workers’ families.

The tradition stuck as the first annual tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933.