What to Know
- A few Southern California outdoor shopping centers erect their Christmas trees in early November
- The Citadel Outlets tree, called "California's Tallest Fresh-Cut Christmas Tree," traditionally arrives before Halloween; the 5 Freeway-close shopping center is also topped by the "World's Biggest Bow"
- The Grove's tree arrived on Nov. 2 while The Americana at Brand tree will roll in on Nov. 7
We talk a lot about "the holidays on the horizon," that sense that the most festive stretch of the year is on approach, a feeling that is paired with the notion that we're not as far ahead as we'd like to be, preparation-wise.
But sometimes, quite literally, we can see the holidays on the horizon if we're looking in the right direction.
If you are, for example, gazing down the airy length of The Grove, or you happen to glance at the Citadel Outlets near the 5 Freeway, you'll instantly understand that the holiday season has begun when you spy the shopping centers' sky-high trees.
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These fanciful firs, which are impressively large, aren't erected around Thanksgiving or early December, but rather in early November, or, in the case of the Citadel Outlets tree, a week ahead of Halloween.
These showy specimens are some of the first public trees to go on view each season around Southern California.
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The gargantuan giant now gracing the Citadel Outlets is billed as "California's Tallest Fresh-Cut Christmas Tree," so it is no surprise that the very tippy-top of the massive white fir tree is easy to spy, even if you're a good distance away.
The Mt. Shasta tree, selected by Victor Serrao of Victor's Christmas Trees in San Juan Capistrano, stands 115 feet tall.
The journey to Citadel Outlets took three days and the decorating process? It will last two weeks, with some 18,000 multicolored lights and 10,000 bows expected to festoon the fir when completed.
Decorating these behemoths takes time, but you can bet they'll soon be in full sparkle-a-tude. The Tree Lighting Concert Celebration at the Citadel Outlets will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 while The Grove will flip the switch on Nov. 13.
The Americana at Brand's evening events, which include live entertainment and a nightly "snowfall," kick off on Nov. 16.
