Bumblebee look-alike sits at Carefree intersection

CAREFREE, Ariz. - The town of Carefree has caused quite a buzz on social media the last few days.

A new futuristic statue welcoming residents and tourists was just installed last week. It’s hard to miss a seemingly life-sized Bumblebee Transformer look-alike.

Many are asking, why is it here? We wanted to find out.

What they're saying:

At the northwest corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway, a 14-foot-tall statue suddenly appeared on Thursday, April 17 and immediately became an online sensation.

The line of people who want to see it never seems to end.

"Every time I drive by, there’s 10 to 15 people stopping and just checking it out."

"Just coming down the street, you see a big Bumblebee. It’s amazing."

"I saw it on Instagram and I said, 'Hey kids, get in the car, we’re going to see something cool."

"It’s original. You’ve never seen anything like this, so it’s pretty cool."

"I’d seen it, but there was always so many people. This time, I didn’t see anybody, so I just stopped and got some good content."

The backstory:

Wayne Helfand of Rare Earth Gallery in Cave Creek is giddy about what’s on display.

He recently acquired the old CVS plot at a busy intersection in Carefree, a few miles from his store, and wanted to build an artwalk with custom fountains.

But, it needed a centerpiece.

"What could I put in there that would be a nice entrance into the community that would be something to talk about?" Helfand said.

He said he found the Bumblebee Transformer look-alike in Indonesia. It took five workers and a crane truck to install.

"It’s incongruent with the land, and you see desert, desert, desert and then, all of a sudden, there’s this giant robot in the middle of nowhere," Helfand explained.

What's next:

The artwalk will always be changing and growing, welcoming people to Carefree in its own unique way.