Families spend Thanksgiving picking out Christmas trees

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - As families spend their Thanksgiving eating turkey and stuffing, many others are getting ready for Christmas by finding their perfect tree.

On Thursday, families spent their morning at Holly Berry Christmas Trees off of Hull Street Road.

Cary Nothnagel and his family walked back home with their tree in hand, ready for the start of their holiday season.

“It’s a family tradition,” Nothnagel said. “We’ll set it up, put the lights on it, and then we’ll do a family decoration after Thanksgiving.”

This tree is part of Nothnagel’s annual tradition with the family-owned business near their home.

“We saw them setting up across the street. It kind of became a family tradition,” he said. “My wife goes crazy every year when they start setting up out here because we love watching the families come and go, pick up their trees, and the little kids running around.”

Holly Berry Christmas Trees opened up for business on Thanksgiving Day but held a soft opening on Monday because of the requests they’ve received from their customers.

“We have had very high demand for customers expressing concern trees might sell out,” said Rob Gebhardt, one of the owners of Holly Berry Christmas Trees.

Earlier this week, Gebhardt said their shop received their first delivery of trees, consisting of 1,600 Fraser Firs.

Last week, Joey Chenault said prices to get these trees went up by close to $40.

“Everybody is very concerned with this so-called tree shortage,” said Gebhardt. “There is absolutely a tree shortage.”

Gebhardt doesn’t blame this shortage on supply chain issues. Instead, he believes it’s due to a delay in tree planting spanning back to 2008.

“It takes some time to get a 7-foot, 8-foot tall tree,” he said. “So you combine that with trees we started getting a few years ago. Last year with COVID hitting, less people traveled, and more people stayed home and got trees.”

A delay that could impact their sales.

“Our initial counts, we were hoping to go through 2,700 trees this year, but our suppliers are unable to keep up,” Gebhardt said. “So we are going to be selling fewer trees, I believe than last year as well.”

The delays are not putting a damper on this season of tradition as families ring in the holiday season.

“It really means a lot to me to be out here with my family and pick out a tree,” said Breanna Duffy.

Last year, Gebhardt said they ran out of trees by Dec. 15.

Holly Berry Christmas Trees will be open this weekend from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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