It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Arizona’s tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree is scheduled to arrive Fri., Nov. 4 at 6:30 a.m. For 21 years, Outlets at Anthem has been home to the state’s tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree. This year the breathtaking tree will arrive via a 40-foot flatbed truck and be ushered into place by none other than Santa Claus himself. Weather permitting, the tree will then be lifted into place with an industrial crane at 7:45 a.m., marking the perfect kick off to the holiday season.
“Nothing says the start of the holiday season like the arrival of the state’s tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree,” says JoAnn Truax, director of real estate and marketing, Outlets at Anthem. “For more than two decades we have been the perfect place for Valley residents to carry on holiday traditions and create new ones with the people they love. This year’s tree is a sight to see, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors of all ages to our open-air shopping space to celebrate the wonders of the holiday season.”
This year’s tree measures 70-feet tall and 20-feet wide and is being transported from a specialty lot at the California/Oregon border. Upon arrival at the Outlets at Anthem, a 10-person team of experts will spend two weeks – and more than 120 hours – using articulating boom lifts to shape and decorate the tree. The tree will also be topped with a 3-foot-tall copper star, which is a nod to the state’s official metal. More than 1.5 miles of LED lights, approximately 10,000 bulbs, will illuminate the tree and roughly 5,000 ornaments and bows will finish off the breathtaking spectacle. When completely decorated, the tree will weigh close to four tons.
To assure the tree is kept fresh all season long, it is housed in a custom-made 7-foot deep well and sprayed with nearly 120 gallons of fire retardant. Six industrial guy wires hold the tall tree in place and stabilize it during windy weather.
Spectators are invited to celebrate the official launch of the holiday season at the 21st annual tree lighting event, Sat., Nov. 19, at Outlets at Anthem. For additional information, visit outletsanthem.com.
