Anthem hosting lighting ceremony for Arizona’s tallest Christmas tree on Saturday

PHOENIX — ‘Tis the season for the largest fresh-cut Christmas tree in Arizona to come to life in the north Valley.

The 21st annual Tree Lighting Concert hosted by the Outlets at Anthem is set for Saturday with performances by local singer and American Idol contestant Marcus Tinsley and the Great Hearts Anthem Prep choir.

The 70-foot-tall tree will brighten the sky with more than 1.5 miles of LED lights and roughly 5,000 ornaments and bows. The tree don a three-foot-tall star as its crown.

“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,” JoAnn Truax, director of real estate and marketing at the outlets, said in a press release.

“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.”

When fully dressed, the behemoth of a tree — which was transported from a lot at the California-Oregon border — weighs nearly four tons. It rests in a seven-foot deep well with nearly 120 gallons of fire retardant for safe keeping.

The free event for all ages will begin at 5 p.m.

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