• As part of its fourth annual "Believe" campaign, Macy's Herald Square (151 W. 34th St., 212-695-4400) has partnered up with charitybuzz to launch the celebrity tree auction, a new element to its holiday festivities. The auction features 14 fantasy Christmas trees inspired by some of New York City's most recognizable faces, including Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, Ralph Lauren, Rachel Roy, and Michael Kors. For now, the trees are on display in Macy's on 34th Street, where you can preview and bid on these one-of-a-kind trees. The lucky set of winners will have their trees delivered to their doorstep complete with in-home setup and the best part? One hundred percent of the funds raised will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
  • The Plaza (Fifth Avenue at Central Park South, 212-759-3000) has teamed up with Betsey Johnson to design the famed hotel’s first official Eloise Christmas Tree for the holiday season. As you may have guessed, the Eloise-themed Christmas tree is inspired by none other than Kay Thompson's classic 1955 book Eloise and the precocious heroine known for her capers inside the hotel. On Monday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m., the hotel and designer will host a holiday-themed tree-lighting tea in the Palm Court — to get in on the action, you have to make reservations by calling 212-546-5300. The event will also introduce the Palm Court’s new holiday tea menu featuring a combination of sweet and savory seasonal items such as roasted heirloom turkey with cranberry chutney, spinach and feta phyllo napoleon, gingerbread men cookies, peppermint bark, and Christmas-tree sugar cookies. The price of admission is $79 for adults and $45 for children and includes a champagne toast as well as a "mocktail" for the younger set.

  • What's the holiday season in the city without its most beloved tree tradition? Don't forget to bundle up and head to Midtown for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Rockefeller Plaza. Per tradition, the Norway spruce will be illuminated by more than 30,000 eco-friendly LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski crystal star. While the affair will be broadcast on TV, it's pretty magical to witness it in the flesh.