Hoda Kotb is celebrating turning 60 in style!
She commemorated her milestone birthday on TODAY Aug. 12 with a birthday bash filled with tears of joy, her trademark smile and plenty of special guests.
Hoda, whose actual 60th birthday was Aug. 9, reunited with families whose lives she's touched over the years, shared sweet moments with her two daughters, savored birthday wishes from TODAY fans on Rockefeller Plaza and enjoyed special performances by two of her musical favorites.
"If you’re in your 40s, your 50s, your 60s or beyond, and you wonder, 'When are my blessings coming?' They’re coming ya’ll, and when they come, they’re going to be, as we say, ‘Right on time,'" Hoda said on TODAY.
Here are the special moments from Hoda's celebration.
A dance performance from one of her favorite schools
The festivities kicked off with a performance by the girls from the Groove With Me dance studio in Harlem, an organization Hoda has been a fan of and covered for years.
The girls danced to Paul Russell's "Lil Boo Thang" as Hoda sang along and grooved to the music.
"You guys are wonderful," Hoda told them afterward. "I love you guys, thank you guys for coming, that meant the world to me."
She then brought her daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, out to meet the Groove With Me dancers.
A surprise reunion with special families Hoda has impacted
The most emotional moments of the day came when Hoda was surprised with hugs by a trio of families whose lives she's touched over the years.
Hoda wiped away tears as she watched a tribute from former NFL lineman Devon Still and his daughter, Leah, 14, a cancer survivor whose heart-wrenching story Hoda shared when Leah was just four years old.
"I do remember Hoda being there and just showing that she cared," Still said.
The Stills were followed by Bart Conley, whose wife, Jill Brzezinski-Conley, bonded with Hoda before she died at 38 in 2016 from breast cancer. Hoda, who is a breast cancer survivor, first met the couple at a fundraiser to help combat the disease.
"We always felt so close to you, like a true friend," Bart Conley told Hoda.
The tears kept coming as she rewatched the story of her surprising Frank and Stacy Parrado on TODAY in 2018 with the news that their dream of adopting a child had come true.
Hoda, who adopted Haley and Hope, then was overjoyed to reunite with the Parrados and meet their daughter, Addison, who's now six years old.
A mural in Hoda's honor
One of Hoda's favorite phrases was immortalized in a mural above the windows at Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center.
"It's so perfect because whether it's about becoming a parent, whether it's about finding love, whether it's about starting a second career, you've taught us all that life's blessings truly happen right on time," Craig Melvin told Hoda.
The mural depicts the phrase next to a drawing of tiny hands, representing Haley and Hope holding onto Hoda's hand.
"Because they are the blessings that came right on time for you," Savannah Guthrie said of Hoda's two daughters on TODAY.
The artwork was done by children from the Thrive Collective, a nonprofit responsible for murals throughout New York City with the goal of spreading hope and opportunity for their communities.
"That is so incredibly beautiful," Hoda said. "Y'all are amazing."
A concert featuring two of Hoda's favorite musical groups
There was no way the TODAY family was going to celebrate Hoda's birthday without some music.
Not one, but two of Hoda's favorite musical groups came to Rockefeller Plaza to pump up the festivities. Little Big Town and Sugarland had everyone singing along as they performed multiple songs.
The bands also joined the TODAY family for a special toast to Hoda on stage.
"Hoda, you are beautiful inside and out," Savannah said. "You're our North Star. You're a dazzler of a human, we love you."
A nonstop celebration with Jenna on the 4th Hour of TODAY
A crowd chanting her name on Rockefeller Plaza greeted Hoda for the 4th Hour of TODAY alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
"Can I just say I'm shocked that all of you guys are here?" a grateful Hoda said. "Thank you so much."
She then got a surprise when Jenna informed her that a special group of 60 women in the crowd are also turning 60 this year.
As Hope and Haley looked on, Hoda also reflected about her last decade in which she became a mom for the first time.
"I remember wondering if I was worthy of being a mother," she said. "And one day I just decided that maybe it's OK to say the words out loud, like 'I wish that I could be a mom.'
"I realize that sometimes we think our blessings have passed us by, but no, they're coming," she continued.
Jenna also presented Hoda with a special painting created by her father, former President George W. Bush. It depicts Hoda holding one daughter's hand while the other runs ahead in a touching scene.
The tears and laughs kept flowing with a video birthday message from Sandra Bullock, and surprise appearances by Hoda's longtime friends Maria Shriver, Jane Lorenzini, Jennifer Miller and Karen Swensen.
Then it was a trip down memory lane to Hoda's college days at Virginia Tech. The Hokies mascot cheered for her on the plaza, while Hoda's college friends and some current Virginia Tech students shared how she has inspired them.
After one last performance from Little Big Town, there was only one song left to sing: The band and the crowd joined in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to cap off a celebration Hoda won't forget.
Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should subscribe to here!) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else.
