Fort Worth is ready to flip the switch on holiday spirits with its 79th Annual Community Christmas Tree lighting up Sundance Square Plaza. The towering 86-foot Norway spruce, hailing from Michigan’s frostbitten realm, stands proudly as the tallest live Christmas tree in Texas—a notch above its New York and Washington, D.C., counterparts by 11 and 33 feet, respectively. The tradition of Fort Worth's ever-towering Christmas tree is a legacy, dating back to 1947 when Amon Carter, publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, sought to outdo the National Christmas Tree.
The tree’s two-week transformation will culminate in the Holiday Concert & Tree Lighting Ceremony, set for Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. As festive crews work to decorate the spruce, an occasion that draws thousands each year is taking shape, and December 2nd promises to once again gather the community in a collective marvel. “Thousands to downtown” is the anticipated headcount for this illuminating event, according to the City of Fort Worth.
Moving beyond the mere aesthetic, this year's spruce continues to champion a tradition initiated by the Fort Worth Jaycees in 1956, having called Sundance Square its official home since 2004. The unyielding dedication to a community symbol not only reinforces the ties that bind the residents of Fort Worth together but also echoes an unwavering commitment to continuity and festivity. After its yuletide tenure, the community’s beloved tree will embark on its second life, to be mulched for landscaping within the lively Sundance Square, ensuring its legacy enriches the soil as it once did the soul.
Adding to the tree's dazzle are hand-painted ornaments, crafted by local artists—beach ball-sized tokens of creativity that infuse the towering spruce with a touch of Fort Worth’s artistic flair. These works, commissioned and compensated by Sundance Square, add a personalized layer to the luminous display that is set to bring holiday cheer to both Texas residents and visitors from afar. The artistry adorning the tree not only captures the city’s festive vibe but also serves as a platform that uplifts the vibrant local arts scene, detailing a vibrant narrative beneath its twinkling lights. The City of Fort Worth highlights the parade of lights and the celebration of nearly eight decades of this twinkling tradition.
