When Do Christmas Trees Go Up in New York? Full 2026 Dates & Calendar
When do Christmas trees go up in New York? The first tree lights up on November 17, and all eight of the city’s major trees are lit by December 10. That’s the short version. This guide breaks down every confirmed 2026 date, tree by tree, plus the ice rinks, windows, and events that build up around them.
For more ways to fill out your itinerary, see our guide to the Best Things to Do at Christmas in NYC. And follow @MyChristmasInNewYorkCity on Instagram, since we’ll be posting live updates as each tree goes up this season.
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The Quick Answer: New York's 2026 Tree Lighting Dates
Eight Christmas trees light up across New York this year, spread between November 17 and December 10. Here are the headline dates.
- The Plaza Hotel Christmas tree lighting: November 17
- Fox Square Christmas tree lighting: November 20
- Bryant Park Christmas tree lighting: December 1
- Lotte New York Palace Christmas tree lighting: December 1
- South Street Seaport tree lighting: December 1
- Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting: December 2, at 10pm
- Wall Street NYSE Christmas tree lighting: December 3
- Washington Square Park Christmas tree lighting: December 10
The Rockefeller Center tree arrives and goes upright even earlier, on November 7, though it stays dark until its December 2 ceremony. Tree-by-tree details are below. For every other 2026 event, from ice rink openings to store window unveilings, see our 2026 Holiday Season Guide.
Trees Lit Before Thanksgiving
Two trees light up before Thanksgiving even starts, both worth seeing if you’re visiting in November.
The Plaza Hotel lights its tree first, on November 17, with a small celebration outside its Fifth Avenue entrance. Fox Square follows on November 20, home to the FOX News All-American Christmas Tree. Fifth and Sixth Avenue put up their own street decorations that same day.
Store windows move on a similar clock. Bloomingdale‘s unveils its holiday windows on November 18. Macy’s Herald Square and Bergdorf Goodman follow on November 19. By November 20, Midtown already looks like December, a full week before Thanksgiving.
Rockefeller Center’s tree is a different story. It’s been standing since November 7, but it stays dark for another three and a half weeks after that. That gap surprises a lot of first-time visitors expecting an instant reveal.
How the Rockefeller Center Tree Gets to Manhattan
The Rockefeller Center tree takes about six weeks to go from a private backyard to Midtown Manhattan. Here’s how the 2026 timeline runs.
Rockefeller Center makes its official tree announcement on October 26, kicking off the countdown to the season. The cutting ceremony follows on November 5. That’s when the selected spruce comes down at its source property, usually somewhere in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. The tree then travels by flatbed truck into the city, arriving in the early hours of November 7.
The arrival ceremony and hoisting run from 7am to 11am that same morning. Cranes lift the tree upright in front of the skating rink, the same spot it’s stood since 1933. Decorating begins soon after, though the tree stays dark until its lighting ceremony a month later.
Want to see the bare tree before its big reveal? Any visit between November 7 and December 2 will catch it standing but unlit.
December 2026: New York's Big Tree Lighting Week
December opens with three tree lightings on a single night. Bryant Park, the Lotte New York Palace, and South Street Seaport all light their trees on December 1.
Bryant Park‘s ceremony includes ice skating performances beside its 48-foot tree. It’s wrapped in more than 13,000 lights and 1,100 ornaments, right next to the New York Public Library. The Lotte New York Palace lights its tree the same evening, filling its private courtyard with old-world elegance. Down at South Street Seaport, the lighting brings the same energy to the historic waterfront, a part of the city most Midtown itineraries skip entirely.
Rockefeller Center takes the spotlight the next night. Its tree lights up on December 2 at 10pm, the traditional Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Crews wrap the tree in more than 50,000 lights strung across nearly five miles of wiring, then top it with the 900-pound Swarovski star.
Wall Street follows on December 3, with the NYSE Christmas Tree Lighting outside the New York Stock Exchange on Broad Street. Washington Square Park closes out the run on December 10. It’s the latest of the season’s major lightings, and one of the few south of 14th Street.
Want a guaranteed plan for the season’s biggest ceremony? Our Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Travel Package begins December 1 and handles the logistics, so you’re not left guessing where the barricades go up.
How Early Do Christmas Decorations and Events Start in NYC?
New York’s Christmas season actually starts in ice, not lights. The Rockefeller Center ice rink opens first, on October 10. Bryant Park Winter Village follows on October 23, then Wollman Rink in Central Park on October 25.
Rockefeller Center Chalets open November 1, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, begins November 4. Both run well into January.
Retail moves next. Union Square Christmas Market opens November 13. Shine Bright Hudson Yards begins November 17, the same day the Plaza lights its tree. Store windows follow close behind, with Bloomingdale‘s on November 18, then Macy’s Herald Square and Bergdorf Goodman on November 19.
By November 20, the season is in full swing. Fifth and Sixth Avenue put up their street decorations that day. Papillon Christmas Restaurant finishes its holiday makeover, and the Fox Square tree lights up, all on the same date. Classic Harbor Line’s Christmas cruises have already been sailing for four days by that point, since November 16.
Thanksgiving week tips the city fully into Christmas mode. Balloon inflation for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade happens November 25. The parade itself runs November 26, marking its 100th anniversary, and Macy’s Santaland opens the following day.
How Long Do New York's Christmas Trees and Events Stay Up?
Most of New York’s Christmas season runs into the new year, though closing dates vary a lot by location.
Bryant Park’s Holiday Shops close January 3, though its ice rink usually stays open until February 28. Rockefeller Center Chalets also close January 3. The Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular runs through January 4, and Shine Bright Hudson Yards stays lit until January 7. Wollman Rink in Central Park has the longest run of all, open from October 25 all the way to March 21.
Rockefeller Center’s tree itself usually comes down in the second week of January. That’s once the lights and ornaments are stripped and the trunk is milled into lumber. Rockefeller Center has confirmed the 2026 tree will again be donated to Habitat for Humanity, a tradition running since 2007.
If your trip falls anywhere in the first week of January, you’ll catch nearly everything still standing and lit.
Where to See the Best Christmas Trees in New York 2026
Eight trees define the New York Christmas season this year, each with its own personality. For a closer look at each one, see our full guide to the Best Christmas Trees in New York.
Rockefeller Center’s tree is the icon, standing over the plaza with its Swarovski star. Bryant Park’s tree sits beside the ice rink and the New York Public Library, drawing a slightly quieter crowd. The Lotte New York Palace tree fills a private courtyard with old-world elegance, a favorite backdrop for photos.
Wall Street’s NYSE tree brings holiday lights to the Financial District’s cobblestone streets, a short walk from the Charging Bull and Fearless Girl statues. Fox Square, tucked near Radio City Music Hall, is one of the first trees lit each year. The Plaza’s tree lights up even earlier, right on Fifth Avenue.
South Street Seaport and Washington Square Park round out the list, both worth the detour if you want a tree without the Midtown crowds. South Street Seaport brings the season to the historic waterfront, while Washington Square lights up latest of all, on December 10.
Each tree sits within a short walk or subway ride of at least one other. That makes a single-day tree-hopping route realistic, if you plan the order right.
Tips for Seeing NYC Christmas Trees Without the Crowds
Crowds are the real challenge, not the cold. Timing your visit well makes a bigger difference than anything else you can plan.
Arrive at Rockefeller Center before 8am for breathing room and clear photos. For something rarer, show up around 5am, when the tree relights for the day and the plaza sits nearly empty. Locals call this the personal lighting.
Weekdays beat weekends every time, especially Monday through Wednesday. Evenings after 10pm also thin out fast, even though the lights stay on all night. This works well at Bryant Park, Rockefeller Plaza, and the Lotte New York Palace.
If Midtown feels like too much, head south instead. South Street Seaport, Washington Square Park, and the Union Square Christmas Market all deliver the same holiday sparkle, with a fraction of the crowd.
Christmas Trees and Lights Tours in NYC 2026
Seeing all eight trees on your own takes planning. A guided tour does that work for you, and each one starts on a specific date this season.
Our My Christmas Morning in Manhattan Tour with Papillon Christmas Restaurant begins November 20, right as Papillon finishes its own holiday decorating. The tour stops at four trees in one morning. You’ll see Rockefeller Center, Fox Square, the walk-through tree on 6th Avenue, and the tree at Radio City Music Hall. A drive-by view of the Lotte New York Palace tree from the bus rounds it out.
The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour with DUMBO and Free Hot Chocolate at Bryant Park Winter Village starts November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. It ends the night at Bryant Park, right as its tree glows over the rink. You’ll get a free hot chocolate and time to wander the Winter Village market.
The Holiday Spirit in Manhattan Tour with 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar also starts November 27. It covers Midtown’s lights and a rooftop skyline view, then finishes downtown at the Wall Street NYSE tree.
If you’re planning around the parade or the Rockefeller lighting specifically, two travel packages are worth a look. The Thanksgiving Day Parade Travel Package begins November 25, and the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Travel Package begins December 1. Both handle the planning, though neither gets you inside any restricted ceremony areas. What they do is the legwork of routing and timing. You’ll spend less time checking a map and more time looking up at the lights.
Conclusion: New York Christmas Tree Timeline for 2026
When do Christmas trees go up in New York? The Plaza lights its tree first, on November 17. Rockefeller Center’s tree stands bare from November 7 but doesn’t shine until December 2 at 10pm. By December 10, all eight of the city’s major trees are lit and the season is in full swing.
Whichever week you visit, you’ll catch something. Visit in November for the ice rinks, the store windows, and the season’s first two trees. Visit the first week of December for four lighting ceremonies in three days. Visit in early January and most of it is still standing, with far smaller crowds.
Browse our other NYC Christmas guides to keep planning, or follow @MyChristmasInNewYorkCity on Instagram for live updates as the season unfolds.
Author: Written by Dora Formica on behalf of My Christmas in New York
