What to Know
- Halloween Tree in Downtown Anaheim, presented by the Downtown Anaheim Association and OC Vibe
- The stately tree is covered in orange lights and "exactly 99" jack o'lanterns (they're glowing) in honor of the Anaheim Halloween Parade's 99th anniversary
- On view nightly through Monday, Oct. 31; free to see; the Anaheim Halloween Parade is on Saturday, Oct. 29
Soon, very soon, the towering Christmas trees of Southern California will be in gorgeous glittery form, with every bauble, ornament, and beautiful bow placed just so.
You'll see them in shopping malls, grand hotels, and the occasional town square, and stopping by to take a few family photos on a crisp December night?
It's a touching tradition for many locals.
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But before the end-of-the-year holidays arrive, there is Halloween, an out-sized occasion that oddly seems to lack celebratory shrubbery, on the whole.
It's rather strange when you ponder it: The haunting holiday takes so much inspiration from nature, from bats to owls and moonlight to whispering winds, but coming across decorated trees?
They're not as widely found as you might hope.
Anaheim, however, is proving to be the creative, high-spirited, festive-of-heart exception yet again. And the city, which has become known for its devotion to all things Halloween, thanks to its long-running parade and the imagination-fueled theme park at 1313 Disneyland Drive, once again has a Halloween-themed tree displayed in its merry midst.
Not just in its general midst, mind you, but in quite the prominent place: the heart of the downtown area. This placement reveals just how much Anaheim adores the pumpkin-themed vibes of the spooky celebration, for any city that signs off on a major decoration in a central spot is, quite cheerily, confirming that "Halloween lives here."
When the Halloween Tree, which is well and truly and dazzlingly bedecked in oodles of orange bulbs, appeared on the Center Street Promenade in 2020, it was a gift to the community, a way to add some magic to a challenging season that seemed distinctly magic-free.
And upping the magic that year? The fact that the fir boasted 97 glowing jack o'lanterns, a nostalgic nod to the Anaheim Halloween Parade's 97th anniversary.
The popular sight is shimmering again throughout October 2022, but this time with 99 jack o'lanterns in homage to the parade's big 99th.
That event is returning on Saturday, Oct. 29 with its famous community-centered effervescence, out-of-this-world floats, and adorable mascot Andy Anaheim in tow.
If you're thinking that evening would be the perfect time to stop by and marvel at one of the only city-approved Halloween trees around, before or after the parade, you'd be right.
Of course, you can view the free-to-see tree any night you like, through Monday, Oct. 31.
