Citadel Outlets to Host Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 7

Citadel Outlets to Host Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 7

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If you have spent any time driving the 5 freeway just south of East Los Angeles lately, you might have noticed a peculiar sight: a building-sized bow strapped to a structure that usually deals in clearance sales and designer labels. It is a signal that for the Citadel Outlets in Commerce, the holiday season has officially arrived. While many of us are still staring at the remnants of Halloween costumes draped over our chairs, this Assyrian palace-themed mall has been busy preparing for its 25th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The main attraction, a massive 115-foot white fir, arrived in mid-October after a three-day, 600-mile journey from the forests near Mt. Shasta, Time Out Worldwide reported. Over the last two weeks, crews have been meticulously sculpting the tree with additional branches and adorning it with a staggering 18,000 lights and 10,000 ornaments and bows. On Saturday, November 7, the mall will officially flip the switch, illuminating the display and kicking off the holiday festivities.

The Scale of the Commerce Display

To understand the sheer magnitude of this tree, it helps to look at the numbers. At 115 feet, it stands as a genuine outlier in the landscape of Southern California holiday decor. According to data shared by the Citadel Outlets and corroborated by abc15.com, the tree is 35 feet taller than the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City. Locally, it measures 25 feet taller than the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier, 38 feet taller than Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, and a full 70 feet taller than the Hollywood Sign.

This superlative height is part of a tradition that routinely earns the location the title of the world’s tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree. The logistics of moving a fir of this size from Northern California to the Los Angeles basin represent a significant feat of seasonal engineering. As noted by abc15.com, the arrival of such a massive fresh-cut tree often prompts discussions among industry observers about the environmental trade-offs between harvesting live timber versus the carbon footprint associated with long-term artificial alternatives.

Citadel Outlets to Host Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 7
Photo: abc15.com

What to Expect on Saturday Night

The tree lighting is not just a visual event; it serves as the centerpiece for a larger concert celebration. Beginning at 5:00 p.m. on November 7, the mall will host a free concert featuring performances from Keyla Richardson, SZN4, the Full Circle Boys, and OCSA Montage!. The evening will also mark the debut of the shopping center’s nightly snow flurries, a staple of their holiday production. For those planning to attend, it is worth noting that the event is free to the public.

As the lights flicker on this Saturday, the contrast between the quiet forests of Mt. Shasta and the industrial landscape of Commerce will be complete.

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