This year marks the 81st Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony with the lighting of a 76-foot Norway spruce tree donated by the city of Shelton, Connecticut, according to NBC.
The tree, which has been donated for the second year from the city of Shelton, was brought over on a tractor-trailer on Nov.8, and will remain on display until 11 p.m. on Jan.7, NBC reported.
The program was first televised on NBC in 1951 and was inspired by construction workers who put up a tree in the plaza and decorated it with paper garland and tin cans in 1931, according to the book "Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center" by Daniel Okrent.
A little more decadent than tin cans, the tree will be illuminated with 45,000 twinkling lights and will attract huge crowds.
The televised program will be hosted by Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales and will feature performances of classic holiday tunes by Mary J. Blige, the Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Ariana Grande, according to NBC.
Swarovski is supplying the tree's star for the 10th year since 2004, and the star will be raised to the top after the tree is lit at 8:55 p.m.
The star, which was originally created in 2004, was updated in 2009 to feature it's dynamic light movement and contains 25,000 crystals, measuring nine and a half feet in diameter and weighing 550 pounds, according to a press release.
The star contains 300 pounds of crystal panels, six outer rays and six inner rays, designed with the sole purpose to create light movement. The program will air Wednesday from 7-9 p.m., but a live stream can also be viewed here.
