Outlets at Anthem
An outlet shopping center in Anthem, Arizona, known for discounted brand merchandise and its annual large-scale Christmas tree display.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Outlets at Anthem is an outlet shopping center in Anthem, Arizona, north of Phoenix. It serves as a discount-oriented retail destination for residents and visitors in the Phoenix metropolitan area, offering branded merchandise through outlet stores and related shopping and dining services. Public reference material identifies the property as an outlet mall and also associates it with the name Outlets North Phoenix. The center's most distinctive public-facing feature is its annual Christmas tree. The mall has displayed a large holiday tree since 2002, and during the 2010s its installation was repeatedly described as Arizona's tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree. In several years, the display was also reported or promoted as one of the tallest Christmas trees in the United States. The tree became an important seasonal attraction and a marketing device for the property, drawing visitors beyond the immediate Anthem community and generating attention from regional and national media. The tree is sourced annually from northern California near McCloud, in the Shasta–Trinity National Forest region, and transported roughly 750 miles to Arizona. Because the harvested pine does not naturally retain dense lower branches, smaller branches are attached to the trunk to create a fuller silhouette. The completed display is placed in a water-filled well, treated with fire retardant, decorated with thousands of ornaments and bows, and illuminated with extensive LED lighting. A copper star crowns the tree, reflecting Arizona's historical association with copper mining. The seasonal program normally begins with installation and decoration in late October and culminates in a family-oriented lighting ceremony in November. Music, holiday refreshments, live performances, and later interactive lighting elements have formed part of the program. In 2019, the center introduced a synchronized light show involving the tree and nearby building rooflines. The attraction has also been linked with environmental replenishment efforts: in 2018, saplings were planted to replace trees harvested for the display, and seeds from an earlier tree were used in additional replanting. Available reference material does not establish the center's founding date, ownership structure, tenant roster, financial performance, or corporate parent. Its documented identity is therefore best understood as a local and regional outlet-shopping property whose strongest publicly documented brand asset is its recurring holiday tree tradition.
History
Outlets at Anthem is an outlet mall in Anthem, Arizona, approximately 30 miles north of downtown Phoenix. The available historical record presents the property primarily through its retail role and its annual Christmas-tree attraction. Specific information about the center's original development, opening date, ownership, financing, and tenant changes is not established in the supplied sources. The mall began displaying a large Christmas tree in 2002. During the 2000s, the tree became associated with Arizona's tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree distinction, with reported heights above 80 feet. The display grew into a recurring seasonal attraction that supported the center's regional marketing and helped distinguish it from other outlet properties in the Phoenix area. In 2010, the center installed a 110-foot white pine, bringing the tree its first reported claim as the tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree in the United States. From 2010 through 2016, reported heights generally ranged from 110 to 115 feet. Media coverage in several years compared the Anthem tree with well-known displays such as the Rockefeller Center tree. In 2015, a USA Today holiday graphic presented the Anthem tree as taller than the Rockefeller Center tree for that year. Later installations in 2017, 2018, and 2019 were reported at about 80 feet and continued to be promoted as Arizona's tallest. The tree is harvested near McCloud in northern California and transported to Arizona on equipment designed for oversized loads. The journey covers roughly 750 miles and takes several days. Since the source pine trees lack naturally dense lower branches, crews shape the tree by adding as many as 1,000 smaller live branches into prepared notches in the trunk. The finished tree is installed in a seven-foot water-filled well and treated with more than 200 gallons of fire retardant. This process allows the display to remain outdoors through the holiday season. Installation and decoration generally begin in late October. A crew of approximately ten to twelve people works for several weeks to place about 5,000 ornaments and bows, 80 strands of LED lights totaling roughly 1.5 miles, and a three-foot copper star weighing approximately 15 pounds. The star connects the display to Arizona's copper-mining heritage. The public lighting ceremony takes place in mid-November and has included live music, holiday treats, and family activities. Documented performers include Maggie Rose in 2015 and AJ Mitchell together with the All-American Boys Chorus in 2018. In 2018, the mall's holiday program included tree-replenishment measures in the source area. Twenty-five saplings were planted, while cones from the 2014 tree were used to help establish additional trees. In some years, a similarly sized tree appeared at the Citadel Outlets property in Los Angeles, described as a sister property. In 2019, Outlets at Anthem added a synchronized light show connecting the tree's illumination with lights on nearby buildings. The nine-minute presentation was repeated hourly each evening through Christmas Eve. The supplied material does not document later ownership, management, leasing, expansion, closure, or financial developments. The center's best-documented historical significance remains its recurring holiday attraction, which functions as both a community event and a distinctive promotional feature for the outlet mall.
- 2019
Synchronized light show added
[1]The holiday display expanded to include a music-synchronized light show involving the tree and surrounding buildings.
- 2018
Replanting program documented
[1]Twenty-five saplings were planted in the source region, with cones from an earlier tree supporting further replanting.
- 2015
Tree reaches approximately 115 feet
[1]The display was reported at roughly 115 feet and received national comparison coverage.
- 2010
110-foot tree installed
[1]A 110-foot white pine gave the property its first reported tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree in the United States distinction.
- 2002
Annual Christmas tree tradition begins
[1]The mall began presenting a large Christmas tree as a recurring seasonal attraction.
Products and positioning
A regional outlet-shopping destination combining discounted branded merchandise with a prominent family-oriented holiday attraction.
Outlet shopping
Outlet retail merchandise
The center's core offering is discounted merchandise sold through outlet-format retail stores. Publicly supplied material does not provide a complete tenant directory or identify specific brands, so the assortment is best described at category level rather than by individual store.
Seasonal attraction · 2002
Annual Christmas tree display
A large fresh-cut pine is transported from northern California, shaped with additional branches, decorated with thousands of ornaments and extensive LED lighting, and presented as the center's signature holiday attraction.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Music-synchronized holiday light show
Arizona
The property synchronized lighting on the Christmas tree and nearby rooflines with music in a repeated evening presentation.
Outcome. The seasonal program expanded beyond a static tree and continued nightly through Christmas Eve.
- 2002Annual Anthem Christmas tree
Arizona · United States
The mall established a recurring holiday program centered on a very large Christmas tree, turning seasonal entertainment into a distinctive destination-marketing asset.
Outcome. The tree became a recurring regional attraction and a source of media attention.
Brand decisions
2019
Launch of interactive holiday light showProduct launchBackground
The annual Christmas tree had already become the center's signature seasonal attraction.
Action taken
The mall added a nine-minute synchronized light presentation using the tree, surrounding buildings, and music.
Aftermath
The show was scheduled to repeat hourly each night through Christmas Eve.
2018
Support replanting after annual tree harvestsStrategyBackground
The annual display requires a fresh-cut tree sourced from northern California.
Action taken
Twenty-five saplings were planted in the source area, and cones from the 2014 tree were used for further replanting.
Aftermath
The measure documented an effort to replenish trees associated with the seasonal attraction.
Sources2 sources
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