Arizona's I-17 Mystery Tree gets new Christmas decorations for 1st time after 2019 fire

The tradition of the I-17 Mystery Tree, which had been decorated in secret every Christmas for decades, came to a stop in 2019.

But the decorations have returned this year.

The tree, which sits on the median between Sunset Point and Cordes Junction, had not been decorated since it had fallen prey to a fire in 2019.

Well, mostly fallen prey.

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Arizona's I-17 Mystery Tree is gone. The state balladeer hopes the Christmas tradition will return

Alanna Goodman

If you've lived in Arizona for a while, you've probably heard about a roadside holiday tradition that went on — secretly — for decades. It became lovingly known as the I-17 Mystery Tree.

A portion of the tree is still standing, apparently enough to hold decorations. Based on a tip, KJZZ News headed up to the site to find that, much like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, the bare branches of the still-standing Mystery Tree have been adorned with colorful Christmas decorations once again.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said that it has no involvement with the Mystery Tree or any efforts to decorate it, but has run a blog on the tree for years.

As for who’s responsible for the Mystery Tree’s new decorations, it remains a mystery.

Chelsey Heath/KJZZ