Several streets in midtown will be closed Wednesday afternoon as organizers prepare for the annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony, police say.
Police will set up barricades closing roadways between 48th and 51st streets from Fifth Avenue to Avenue of the Americas from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the NYPD says.
Police say that because of heavy traffic, drivers should also avoid the areas around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.
Pedestrians and spectators are urged to use mass transit to get to Rockefeller Center for the tree lighting festivities.
Police say that large backpacks and bags are prohibited from the event, which attracts tens of thousands of people every year.
The festivities begin at 7 p.m. and will air on NBC 4 New York.
