Galleria Dallas Unveils Texas’ Tallest Indoor Christmas Tree with New Twinkly LED Lights

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Beginning November 10, the Galleria Dallas will initiate the assembly of its renowned 95-foot Christmas tree, recognized as the tallest indoor holiday tree in the United States. This year’s setup includes innovative Twinkly LED lighting arrangements and the debut of dazzling starburst ornaments, alongside the traditional array of spherical decorations. The tree, a longstanding holiday spectacle at the mall, requires a dedicated team of about 50 elves who spend five days constructing it around a five-ton steel frame, intricately attaching over 700 branches.

The tree’s lighting, designed by Italian firm Twinkly—known for their work on the Vatican’s tree—features over 200,000 programmable LEDs. These lights animate festive scenes of reindeer, Santa, and floating holiday icons, culminating in a spectacular 100-pound, 10-foot LED star topper, a pioneering design in the U.S.

By November 14, the tree will be fully constructed, remaining a centerpiece through January 6. Highlight reels of the tree’s construction are accessible online.

The tree lighting events, which attract large crowds, are scheduled for noon on Black Friday, November 29, and the following day. The events will star national figure skating champions and Olympians, alongside nearly 100 young skaters from the Galleria Dallas Ice Skating Center. The festivities peak with the arrival of Missile Toes, a unique Santa known for his backflips and fireworks, marking the start of the holiday season with a pyrotechnic countdown.

“The holiday season has always been our time to shine at Galleria Dallas,” said General Manager Angie Freed. “The beautiful handiwork and visually stunning technology will truly allow us to create the biggest, brightest, merriest holiday experiences for all of North Texas.”

Safety measures are stringent, especially for the suit worn by Missile Toes, which is crafted to be flame-retardant after over five years of development.

The tree not only illuminates the center but also becomes a pivotal part of holiday traditions, drawing more ice skaters than New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Proposals and daily performances add to the festive atmosphere, with the “Illumination Celebration” occurring multiple times a day from Black Friday, featuring the 200,000 lights synchronized to music.

The shopping center itself mirrors the tree’s grandeur, with additional decorations including tens of thousands of lights on both indoor and outdoor trees. The new outdoor plaza hosts Roseaux, an interactive art installation by Canadian group 1ToMn, enhancing the festive spirit with a dynamic display of light and sound, available through the holiday season.