Brian Luenser
Fort Worth is kicking off the holidays in grand style with the arrival of its 79th Annual Community Christmas Tree in Sundance Square Plaza. Towering at 86 feet, this Norway spruce traveled 1,207 miles from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, braving freezing temps and a light snowfall — and up close, it’s even more of a giant than you’d imagine.
We just happened to be there on Nov. 14 to watch this giant get placed in Sundance Square — and let me tell ya, it’s even bigger in real life, up close and personal. There was a moment when the tree creaked while being hoisted, and this reporter felt a little too close for comfort, but all’s well that ends with a successful 86-foot tree raising, right?
The tree isn’t just big — it’s Texas-sized. Eleven feet taller than this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City and 33 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.
Fort Worth’s spruce carries a tradition of friendly holiday one-upmanship that dates back decades, according to the city’s website.
Over the next two weeks, crews from Sundance Square will adorn the tree with thousands of lights and hand-painted ornaments the size of beach balls, crafted by local artists. Sundance Square funds every ornament and string of lights, and the artists are compensated for their work — a nod to the city’s commitment to community and local talent.
The festive season will officially kick off with the annual Holiday Concert & Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. The event draws thousands downtown each year, ready to soak in music, lights, and holiday cheer.
Fort Worth’s tree tradition began in 1947, when Star-Telegram publisher Amon G. Carter made sure the city’s Christmas tree outshone the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. By 1956, the Fort Worth Jaycees took over the event, hosting the annual spruce in Burnett Park. Sundance Square became the home of the celebration in 2004, giving the city a central, vibrant spot to welcome the holidays.
After the holiday season ends, the tree’s journey continues. Once dismantled, it is trimmed in Sundance Square Plaza and transported to a lot east of downtown, where it is mulched. That mulch is then reused to enrich landscaping across the Sundance Square campus — a sustainable second life for Fort Worth’s holiday centerpiece.
With its 79th tree now standing tall, Fort Worth continues to offer a holiday spectacle that draws Texans from across the state — and visitors from beyond — to celebrate a tradition that has brightened downtown for nearly eight decades.
