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Downtown Brooklyn to Light Its Own Rockefeller-Style Holiday Tree

By Janet Upadhye | November 27, 2012 11:41am

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — This tree really knows how to branch out. A Fraser Fir that traveled more than 600 miles from its home in North Carolina will light up MetroTech Commons in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday evening.

After mechanical lifts hoisted the 50-foot giant into place, it took nearly three weeks and six men to decorate its branches with 12,000 lights and 2,500 red bows.

Brooklyn's Christmas tree is a bit shorter than its Manhattan cousin at Rockefeller Center. That Norway Spruce stands 80 feet high and will be lit up on Wednesday.

In total, 900 hours were spent decorating Brooklyn's holiday tree, which hails originally from the small foothill town of Boone, N.C. Its full glory will be unleashed during a tree-lighting ceremony at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday.

"The lighting of this tree is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible new development of Downtown Brooklyn," said event coordinator Kristin Holcomb. "We are also celebrating the children of Brooklyn," she added.

The honor of flipping the switch on the tree's lights goes to the students of Brooklyn New School (P.S. 146), who will also sing for the crowd. Joey Morant & Catfish Stew will also play holiday jazz, the Brooklyn Tech Choir will perform and Santa Claus will hand out candy. The ceremony will be hosted by Bruce Ratner, CEO of Barclays Center developer Forest City Ratner.

The tree lighting event starts at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 27 at the MetroTech Commons in front of Two MetroTech.