SHAWNEE, Kan. — With Thanksgiving now in the rearview, much of the attention turns to Christmas, and for many that means putting up a tree.
Black Friday marked the opening day for Midland Holiday Pines, in Shawnee, Kansas.
The local business saw hundreds of families in their first hours open for the season, and hope to be sold out by the end of the weekend.
For almost 10 years, Tess and Tyler Polshak have been coming to the local farm to buy their Christmas tree.
"It's the best — we really enjoy Christmas," Tess Polshak said.
This tradition became even more special in the last two years when their daughter Olivia was born.
This year, Olivia helped her parents choose their Christmas tree. In addition to wanting it to be pink, she also requested a short, skinny one.
The old tradition for some families is a new one for others.
Brian Griffith took his kids, George and Rosalee, to pick out their tree for the first time.
According to Rosalee, the one they selected was perfect.
"It was nice and straight, it was the perfect height, and I thought it was pretty good for lights on these branches," she said.
Rosalee's vision of a beautiful tree was similar to the one the Wegmans had when they started their business 22 years ago.
"It's great to be able to sell a product that influences a whole family — it brings them together, it becomes part of their culture or part of their celebrations, and it's fun to be a part of that," said Judy Wegman, co-owner of Midland Holiday Pines.
A work of love and patience.
The trees available for purchase today were planted seven years ago.
That means the ones planted this past March won’t be available for sale until 2031.
"Some of these trees become like friends, because you work with them every day," Wegman said.
Friends that Wegman now sees finding new homes.
"It brings them together," she said. "It becomes part of their culture or part of their celebrations."
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