A Colossal Christmas Tree Just Pulled Into Citadel Outlets

How do you know it's the week before Halloween around Los Angeles?

A) The theme parks' maze-filled attractions are in full fright mode.

B) Afternoons can be toasty, if the Santa Ana winds blow through, while nights are crisp.

C) Every posh pastry/coffee/candy at every fancy bakery boasts some pumpkin.

D) The sky-high Christmas trees are rolling into Southern California's shopping centers.

The ultimate answer? This is a real E) type situation, where "all of the above" certainly applies.

For while Halloween's chilling charms may be dominating the final week of October, Christmas celebrations are not far-off, and a few major destinations are already in full prep mode.

Including Citadel Outlets, which has become synonymous with its sizable, branch-big symbol of the season.

And that stately symbol, a 115-foot white fir from Mount Shasta, arrived at the downtown-close shopping center on Friday, Oct. 22.

Make that the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 22, which is another tradition for this particular Tannenbaum. It takes a whole crew to get this ginormous fir, billed as "California's Tallest Christmas Tree" off the lengthy flatbed, and set it in an upright position, and we haven't even addressed the mammoth task of decorating it just yet.

Another tradition, or at least truth, regarding this tree?

It's so tall, you should be able to see the fir's top from far down (or up) the 5 Freeway. But if you'd like to be present for its official lighting ceremony, that's set to twinkle-twinkle on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 7 o'clock.

A few more facts behind this towering tree?

"The tree was selected a timber farm by Victor Serrao, who runs family-owned and San Juan Capistrano-based Victor’s Christmas Trees," shared the team behind the tree transfer. "It's the only company in California that provides full service for Christmas trees above 40 feet and Victor has been in the business of selecting the perfect tree for over 50 years."

If you need a way to visualize how tall it is, from wherever you are, here are a few guides: The tree is 70 feet taller than the Hollywood Sign, and 25 feet taller than the Pacific Wheel at Santa Monica Pier.

And another clue about just how humongous this specimen truly is: Soon, very soon, it will hold around 10,000 bows and ornaments, and 18,000 lights, too.

Of course, if you can't be at the lighting on Nov. 13, you can see this wondrous white fir lit throughout the holiday season.