Photo Courtesy of Kevin Spencer
The Tallest Christmas Tree of the 2012 Season
For the third year in a row, Phoenix, Arizona will be the site of a magnificent Christmas treat. Just days before Halloween, the nation’s tallest, fresh-cut Christmas tree will arrive on a 75-foot stretch trailer at the Outlets at Anthem factory outlet center. Traveling almost 750 miles from Northern California, this colossal tree will stand at 110 feet tall as it welcomes the Christmas season and it will hold thousands of Christmas Ornaments.
It’s hard to imagine a tree of this size and magnitude. The best way to put its impressive dimensions in perspective is to picture the length of an NBA basketball court and the height of the legendary Jolly Green Giant in Minnesota. Even more amazingly, this tree is about 15 feet longer than a basketball court used by the NBA. So it’s accurate to say that this incredible Christmas tree will be an awe-inspiring testament to this beautiful time of year.
Preparing the Tree with Christmas Ornaments and Lights
The task of transporting the tree such a distance will be a real challenge due to its terrific size. But even when it is successfully delivered, there won’t be any time to rest. Plenty of work will still need to be done to prepare the tree once it reaches its Phoenix destination.
After its arrival, it will take a team of 14 people two weeks to add ornaments and decorations. Mobile cranes will have to be used to place these festive Christmas ornaments all over the massive tree. The process requires eight-hour days for the entire two-week period. And when all of the adornments have been added, the 27-foot-wide tree will then weigh 16 tons.
Once the tree is ready to be unveiled, 180 strands of LED lights will embrace its many branches. This amount comes to approximately three miles of fantastic lights that will showcase the tree in all its glory. Not only is a large quantity of Christmas lights necessary, but there will also be a total of 6,000 Christmas ornaments and a three-foot copper star on top. This Christmas tree will certainly be an unforgettable sight for every onlooker who is fortunate enough to view its loveliness in person.
Kicking Off Christmas in Style
It’s estimated that the many hours of decorating will come to a close around November 9th. Then the Christmas tree lighting is set to take place on Saturday, November 17th and will include performances by national artists for this annual celebration. Activities geared to the entire family are also scheduled during this exciting time as well.
Even if you can’t be in Phoenix to witness the incredible event, you can still enjoy the tree’s wonderful journey. Beginning on October 22nd, visit www.outletsanthem.com to watch the tree travel through famous areas such as Sacramento, Los Angeles and other places as it goes to its new home. You can also keep track of the tree on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/outletsatanthem.
Original Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-christmas-holiday-rushing-20120907,0,327658.story
http://www.craigrealtygroup.com/pdfs/press/tree1.pdf