The 76-foot Norway spruce is from Shelton, Connecticut, and it was cut down on Thursday.
Crews are using a crane to lift the tree off a trailer and suspend it in mid air before it is finally stabilized.
The lights get turned on December 4 and stay on through January 7.
It is the second time in six years that Shelton has sent the tree to New York City for the annual holiday display.
Mayor Mark Lauretti says furnishing Rockefeller Center with a tree is a big deal for Shelton, which calls itself "the best affordable suburb in Connecticut."
Rockefeller Center has displayed Christmas trees since 1931.
