Some cities turning to Digital Christmas Trees and decorations

Cost savings, easier to maintain and smething different and unique offered up as reasons.

For the second year, the annual tree lighting in Denver had a different look. A digital Christmas tree.

Denver tourism officials and community partners have kicked off the holiday season with The Mile High City's newest and brightest holiday tradition, The Mile High Tree, presenting sponsor Modelo®. The spectacular art installation – which moved to a new location in the heart of downtown Denver this year – features dynamic light shows set to holiday music from various cultures, all displayed on the country's tallest pixel LED tree. It's something that has become a sign of the holidays in downtown Denver.

Created by Spain-based ILMEX Illumination, part of Ximenez Group, a world-leading firm in artistic and decorative lighting, the tree presents a series of dynamic, pre-programmed lighting and music experiences throughout the evening using pixel mapping technology through 60,000 LED lights.

ILMEX is famous for making digital light installations in high rise buildings, shopping malls and more.

Other cities like Galvaston and Dallas Texas are utilizing digital decorations in their cities.

The Colorado attraction, which made its debut last year, is lighting up downtown Denver in its new location on the 16th Street Mall at Welton Street through January 2, 2021. Weekly, from Thursday through Saturday (and some Sundays), visitors can step inside the free 110-ft tall immersive art installation – the largest of its kind in North America – to enjoy the five-minute lights and holiday music shows. From Sundays through Wednesdays, visitors can still enjoy the tree's programming, safely from a distance. Of course, organizers are keeping visitors' safety a top priority with social distancing measures, mask requirements and limited capacity. It also can be a money saving and making opportunity. Securing and maintaining a large real tree each year is an outlay and with something so unique, a corporate sponsor can be a win/win for all parties.

The seven-story tall, 39-foot diameter conical structure is part of Denver's Mile High Holidays, the city's annual celebration of the holiday season featuring several spectacular light displays, holiday markets, local shopping, festive events, hotel deals and more. Details about the Mile High Tree's programming, as well as safe holiday happenings throughout the city, can be found at MileHighHolidays.com. Information on safety protocols and measures can be found in VISIT DENVER's Clean & Safe Resource Guide; and full details about Denver's Coronavirus mandates, recommendations and resources can be found on the City & County of Denver's website.

ILMEX is globally renowned for creating decorative lighting productions in cities throughout the world including London, Milan, Brussels, Dubai, Tokyo, Madrid, Moscow, Bogota, Perth, New York and Montreal. The company behind the lighting design for the Mile High Tree, presenting sponsor Modelo® is Madrid-based Brut Deluxe, which has created lighted art installations across the globe.