2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Arrives in N.Y.C. After 140-Mile Trip from Maryland

Christmastime has officially kicked off in New York City.

The 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived Saturday in New York City, after the 79-foot Norway spruce was scouted from Elkton, Maryland, earlier this week.

Marking the first time the tree has been chosen in Maryland in the tradition's nearly 90-year history, it was donated from the yard of the Price family, who was present in N.Y.C. for the 80-year-old tree's arrival.

"We never thought a tree on our property would be selected for Rockefeller Center. Nope, not in a million years," Devon Price said on the Today show. "As a family, we've gone from, 'No, we can't let this tree go,' to now, we worry about it. We worry about how it survived a storm or a heavy rain or heavy wind. So, we're very excited to have it go to New York City."

Following the 140-mile trek, the fir was escorted by the NYPD to its final destination at Rockefeller Plaza, where it was lifted into place by a crane. The two-day journey also came with a considerable amount of red tape.

"We need New Jersey permits to bring it up on the turnpike, it stays overnight by the Meadowlands. We need Maryland and Delaware permits for it to travel because it's an oversized load. It has to have special permits, special escorts, police escort, obviously, for security reasons and just to get it here safe," New York Truck Escorts and Permits President Maureen Mandich told ABC 7.

One college student who goes by @sweet.caroline.829 on TikTok shared a video of the crowd watching the tree pass through their town, surrounded by a caravan of police escorts, with helicopters hovering above.

This year's Rockefeller Center shouldn't disappoint after last year's choice stirred up some controversy when it arrived looking a little sparse. The fir's less-than-full appearance sparked plenty of social media memes, with some remarking it was a reflection of the year 2020, which was marked by the pandemic, social unrest, wildfires, and more.

"Wow, you all must look great right after a two-day drive, huh?" the Rockefeller Center Instagram jokingly wrote in response. "Just wait until I get my lights on!"

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A few days after it arrived in New York, spectators noticed that it appeared to be getting some extra filler branches added to it. An onlooker at the scene told PEOPLE that a crew member working on adding the extensions to the tree said that it was "normal" to do so.

The tree looked full and festive by the time it was lit. "See? Girlfriend just needed better lighting and a few extensions," TODAY anchor Savannah Guthrie, 48, joked, sharing a photo of the previously scruffy-looking 2020 tree alongside a photo of it looking full and vibrant after the ceremony.

She told PEOPLE of the makeover, "I think our tree is beautiful. Hoda [Kotb] and I both know what it's like to have a bad hair day and have everyone see it."

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Once decorated, this year's tree will be wrapped in 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on about five miles of wire and topped with a 900-lbs. Swarovski star, complete with 70 spikes. The three-dimensional star was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018, adorned with 3 million crystals.

The annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place Wednesday, Dec. 1 and air on NBC.