OCONTO, WI (WTAQ) - For many, it's already time to shift into Christmas-mode and that means going out to hand-select the perfect family Christmas tree.
Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto will be one local option.
They open for business today and owner Dave Vandervelden says over the decades he's noticed a holiday trend.
"Now Thanksgiving weekend has become very, very popular," he says. "So I think people like decorating earlier now than they did in the past, so they come in earlier and put their trees up earlier."
He says they'll sell plenty of trees in the next few weeks in addition to plenty of garland and Christmas decor.
And if the traditional dark green spruce isn't your cup of tea. there's no reason to worry. They'll gladly accommodate at Whispering Pines.
"The last couple of years we've been painting a few hundred trees," says Vandervelden. "We have I think purple and blue ones this year."
While they might see a rush of families this weekend, that doesn't mean it's just trees flying off the lot.
"We sell a lot of trees, but we sell a lot more garland and wreaths and bows because people do a lot of decorating this weekend," he says.
And if you do happen to find that perfect tree, they feature everything else you'll need to go along with it.
"We've got thousands and thousands of ornaments," explains Vandervelden. "You can have your tree shook and bailed when you're out there and we even have tree stands."
He says to bring the entire family with for a day of holiday fun.
There's an express train that runs on site, a holiday shop, and plenty of food and treats available for purchase.
More information on the farm can be found here.