Grove Christmas Tree facts for kids
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The Grove Christmas Tree is a huge Christmas tree, about 100 feet tall. It lights up every year at The Grove, a popular shopping and entertainment spot in Los Angeles. When it first started in 2002, it was the tallest Christmas tree in the Los Angeles area. Lots of people, sometimes as many as 90,000 a day, visit it during the holidays!
The Story Behind The Grove Christmas Tree
The tradition of lighting The Grove Christmas Tree began in 2002. It was started by a businessman named Rick J. Caruso. He wanted the tree to be the main attraction at his shopping center, The Grove, during the Christmas season.
Over time, the tree lighting ceremony became very popular. It even started to be compared to the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in New York. The Grove tree is usually 100 to 110 feet tall. This makes it taller than the Rockefeller Center tree, which is usually about 75 to 90 feet tall.
The first large tree used for the event was a white fir tree. It came from the Mount Shasta area in Northern California in 2010. The next year, a 100-foot white fir was decorated with over 10,000 lights and 15,000 ornaments. This set the standard for all the amazing trees that followed!
The Annual Tree Lighting Show
The tree lighting event is a big celebration with many famous performers. Singers like Il Divo, Jackie Evancho, The Backstreet Boys, Michael Bolton, and Colbie Caillat have all performed. Stars from American Idol, such as Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery, have also been there.
The show is often hosted by actor Mario Lopez. There are also special dance acts, like Caruso’s Top Hats Dancers.
For the 10th anniversary of the tree lighting, The Grove worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This special event helped grant wishes for children. The celebration included lots of lights and decorations. There was even artificial snowfall, bubbles, and a fantastic fireworks show at the end!
You can watch The Grove Christmas Tree lighting live on TV. KCBS-TV, a local station in Los Angeles, broadcasts the event every year. It is also shown on many other TV stations across the United States.
