Butler County Christmas tree farm open for the season
HARMONY, Pa. (KDKA) -- Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Of course, with Light Up Night and many other holiday festivities, many people are already thinking about Christmas.
One tree farm in Harmony, Butler County, is already open for the season.
What makes this time of year so special? Is it the music? Is it the people?
"I like the novelty of coming in [and] cutting it down," Cait Holesh of Wexford said.
Kate Wentroble's "Super Bowl" is about finding the right tree.
"I'm a little bit more particular," Wentroble of Murrysville said. "And I like a tall and a fat tree, and they can be hard to find."
Grupp's Christmas Trees just opened up to the masses this weekend.
"We're just so excited to have everybody come out," John Grupp, Field Operations Manager at Grupp's Christmas Trees, said.
And it's been busy with lots of cars and lots of trees going up top.
"The artificial tree, that's not a good word around here," Grupp said.
Some people have had to get used to that.
"I've converted [my husband]," Wentroble said. "He was fake, and then, we got him real."
And for Wentroble, there's no cheating in this process.
"The experience is cutting it down!" she said. "You gotta cut it!"
These acres have housed Christmas trees for about four decades. They've welcomed so many families like Kate's.
"We see a ton of small kids with their parents, and we just love that," Grupp said.
Although the conditions have been dry until very recently, Grupp said it hasn't made too much of an impact on this year's trees.
"The drought affected the smaller trees that were just planted, but the bigger trees are totally fine," he said. "We planted about 5,000 this spring, and we lost maybe about 150, 200. So overall, not bad."
Eventually, the Wentrobles found the right one.
"I couldn't hug it, and he didn't like it, so that means it's too big!" Kate Wentroble said.
It was worth the search for her.
"It's really the family tradition," she said.