Des Moines metro residents rang in the holiday shopping season Friday, watching Santa light the towering Christmas tree at Jordan Creek Town Center by shooting a fireball across a manmade lake. As the region's premier shopping destination heads into its 20th year in business, it's a well-established tradition. Since its August 2004 opening, jordancreektc has not just changed local commerce but also redefined the metro's landscape while other malls in the metro are riddled with vacancies. What underlies its remarkable counter-narrative to the gloomy story of shopping centers in the 21st century? #DesMoines #Iowa #holidayshopping #malls