Is Albany’s Next Christmas Tree Sitting in Your Yard?

Every year, the New York State Office of General Services launches its search for a donated spruce tree to serve as the centerpiece for the Empire State Plaza holiday display in Albany.

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State officials do prioritize trees in close proximity to the Capital Region to simplify the cutting, hauling, and maneuvering a massive tree into downtown.

But maybe you have family willing to have one of their trees be the showcase this December. 

Tree Search Criteria

According to the New York State Office of General Services, they are looking for a spruce, Norway or Blue Spruce, standing between 35 and 55 feet tall.

The tree must sit in an open area clear of overhead power lines for simple takedown and pickup.

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The state cuts, removes, and hauls the tree away at no cost to the homeowner.

The tree is then placed near the Empire State Plaza ice skating rink and lit during the New York State Holiday Tree Lighting and Fireworks Festival in early December.

Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Rockefeller Center And Central New York

Sure, maybe a tree in your yard isn't close enough for the one on display in Albany, but Central New York and its surrounding regions have repeatedly supplied Rockefeller Center with some of its most memorable Norway spruces:

2023 - Broome County supplied an 80-foot, 12-ton Norway Spruce donated by the McGinley family.

2020   Otsego County donated a 75-foot Norway Spruce. The tree gained global viral fame when workers discovered a tiny Northern Saw-whet owl, nicknamed "Rocky", tucked inside its branches after the 170-mile trip to Manhattan.

2016 - Otsego County made history again with a towering 94-foot Norway Spruce donated by Angie and Graig Eichler. It stands as the second-tallest Christmas tree ever erected in Rockefeller Center history.

The good news is, property owners can nominate a tree directly through Rockefeller Center's online portal at rockefellercenter.com/contact/submit-your-tree.

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Mario Tama, Getty Images

After The Holidays

After the holiday season concludes, the trees are milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity to build homes for families across the region.