Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center, in Midtown Manhattan. The tree is erected in mid November and lit in a public ceremony in late November or early December. Since 1997, the lighting has been broadcast live, to hundreds of millions, on NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" telecast on a Wednesday after Thanksgiving. The broadcast features live entertainment and a tree lighting ceremony, where the tree is lit by the current Mayor of New York City and special guests. An estimated 125 million people visit the attraction each
Avery Rockefeller Avery Rockefeller Avery Rockefeller (September 11, 1903 – May 22, 1986) was an American investment banker and conservationist who was a member of the Rockefeller family. Rockefeller was born on September 11, 1903 to Percy Avery Rockefeller and Isabel Goodrich Stillman. His paternal grandparents were William Avery Rockefeller Jr. and Almira Geraldine Goodsell. His maternal grandfather was James Jewett Stillman (1850–1918), the chairman of the board of directors of the National City Bank. His father's brother, William Goodsell Rockefeller (1870–1922), married his mother's sister, Elsie Stillman (1872–1935). He attended Yale University, graduating in 1926. In 1928, Rockefeller joined the storied