New York City ? A family of Hurricane Katrina survivors whose new house was partly built with lumber from last year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree were among tens of thousands who attended this year’s lighting ceremony.

The eight-ton, 72-foot Norway spruce was illuminated Wednesday night in the Manhattan plaza after performances by entertainers including Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Jamie Foxx and Beyonce.

“It’s been an awesome experience,” said Tracey Davison, 40, a teacher’s assistant from Pascagoula, Miss. “I have a famous living room because of the tree from last year, and my girls and I have had a spectacular trip to New York for the first time.”

This year’s tree was decorated with 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights on five miles of wire, topped with a 750-pound star made of 25,000 Swarovski crystals.