Arizona’s tallest Christmas tree set to arrive in north Phoenix on Thursday
Oct 24, 2018, 4:23 PM
Santa welcomes a giant Christmas tree to the Outlets at Anthem in 2017. (Outlets at Anthem Photo)
(Outlets at Anthem Photo)
PHOENIX – The fresh-cut Christmas tree touted annually as the tallest in Arizona was scheduled to arrive in north Phoenix on Thursday morning.
A flatbed truck carrying the 80-foot-high, 22-foot-wide tree was expected to roll into the Outlets at Anthem, near Interstate 17 and Anthem Way, at 6:30 a.m.
As a comparison, the famed Rockefeller Center tree in New York City was 75 feet tall last year.
A crane will lift the Anthem tree, which was harvested near the California/Oregon border, into place at 7:45 a.m.
Santa Claus and his elves will be on hand for the arrival, as will school-age carolers from the Musical Theater of Anthem.
Once the giant is upright, a team of workers will spend the coming weeks adorning it with 5,000 ornaments, 1.5 miles of LED light strands (about 10,000 bulbs) and a 3-foot copper star on top.
The official tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 17 from 5-7 p.m., with music from AJ Mitchell and the All-American Boys Chorus from Los Angeles.
The Anthem Christmas tree is a tradition entering its 17th year.
