Giant inflatable elf now hugging massive spire statue at Scottsdale shopping center

PHOENIX — Winter wanderers passing through the Scottsdale Promenade shopping center are now seeing a giant elf on their holiday shopping trips.

The 40-foot-call “Scout Elf” is clinging to the 125-foot-tall spire statue that iconic American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed in the 1950s.

Made of both steel and glass, it weighs 75,000 pounds and sits at the north tip of the center, which is off Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Scottsdale Road.

The new elf was put up through a collaboration with The Lumistella Company. The Scout Elf has been officially recognized and blessed by the creators of Elf and the Shelf, according to a recent announcement from the shopping center.

What’s unique about the giant elf at Scottsdale Promenade this year?

Lumistella Senior Vice President of Licensing and Business Development Tracy Hanchett said this is the year the elf and the spire became an officially celebrated holiday icon.

“We believe in celebrating joy, imagination and togetherness,” Hanchett said in the announcement. “That’s the heart of The Elf on the Shelf.”

Shoppers who pass by the Scout Elf are encouraged to snap photos and post them to social media with the hashtag #ScottsdalePromenadeElf.

“We’re thrilled to bring our story to life in Scottsdale in such a big, memorable way,” Hanchett added.

It’s one way the Valley is getting into the holiday spirit. There are also various festive light displays, Christmas events and various holiday cocktail pop-ups.

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