Brian & Kelly's Pumpkins and Trees, a family-owned business located on Broadway and Rosemont, has been welcoming families for almost 20 years — offering a selection of Douglas, Grand, Noble, and Nordmann Fir trees in all sizes.
For many families, selecting the perfect tree becomes a group effort, though sometimes one family member takes charge of the final decision, like Sophie Maddox.
"Every year I think I pick out really good trees because of how full they are and I don't know, I like a really tall tree," Maddox said.
The Maddox family says getting their trees from Brian & Kelly's has become a cherished tradition.
"It's family-owned, it's a great atmosphere and you get very quality trees," Sadie Maddox said. "They last a very long time and they're beautiful."
Owner Kelly Sauer, says the trees come from Oregon from the same farms they've worked with throughout their career.
She says each tree has its traits.
"The Noble and Nordmann, I like to call close cousins. They both have a shorter, stouter, thicker needle, sturdier branch," Sauer explained. "Douglas fir, very traditional, very popular Christmas tree, kind of a fuzzy, fluffy look to them — Really good scent. And then the Grand fir, really popular, also known for their fragrance."
The pricing depends on the tree variety.
“Least expensive trees $10 a foot up to seven feet, most expensive $16 a foot up to seven feet. Our Nobles and Nordmann are a little bit more expensive than last year. That being said, it’s a dollar more per foot," Sauer said.
Lisa Stutz and her family have been loyal customers for about 10 years.
"We just think the trees are really beautiful. There's so much just festivity here and Brian and Kelly are just always so kind," Stutz said. "We like the tall ones and the big ones."
For other families, this season marks the beginning of new memories and traditions. Julie Anderson is getting a big Christmas tree for the first time with her husband and two young sons.
"We've always gotten the small ones, like just the little ones you can pick up at the grocery store," Anderson said. "They're getting older and they were pretty excited and he asked for one, and we thought it'd be really nice. And we were driving by and were like oh that looks really nice."
Sauer offers important advice for tree shoppers: make the tree lot your last stop before heading home.
"So if you were to come here to get a tree, you don't want to go anywhere else afterwards. It's very important we put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree, you do wanna go straight home and get it right into water," Sauer said. "So no more shopping. Don't stop for lunch, don't stop for dinner. Take the tree straight home."
Beyond Christmas trees, the business also sells wreaths and hatch green chiles, which Sauer says many customers use for homemade Christmas tamales.
"Very, very popular. We've been selling chiles here for all the 20 years that we've been here. We have a huge variety, good prices. They're known as a good hospitality gift, it's a welcoming symbol. Mexican folklore — they ward off evil spirits," Sauer said. "But for us, chiles are beautiful. The red and green is amazing for us."
Brian & Kelly's Pumpkins and Trees is a place where strangers turn into family, something Sauer is proud to be a part of.
"We've seen families grow, seen families change. You know mom's turn into grandma's, and grandma's maybe that don't come back anymore, and then kids that have babies," Sauer said. "Yeah, we've seen it all. It's really fun."
The lot is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday and starting Dec. 5, the hours will extend to 9 p.m. until the 15.
The last shipment of trees comes a week and a half before Christmas.
Check out their Instagram page for updates.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
