MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- The arrival of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree officially kicked off the holiday season.
The symbolic 77-foot tall Norway Spruce arrived early Saturday and was lifted into place by a crane.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree came from the village of Florida in Orange County, NY, about an hour north of New York City.
Visitors were able to witness the engineering feat as the iconic holiday symbol was raised off a 115-foot-long trailer and erected into its prominent home in Rockefeller Center.
The donor, Carol Schultz, had the privilege of driving the spike into the trunk of the tree with a sledgehammer before the tree was lifted into place.
Thousands of spectators are expected to come and visit the tree in all its splendor throughout the holiday season but can now get a sneak peek of the tree before it is properly lit.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for early December.
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