Papa Noel Vision Statement

our farm in Creston NC

Christmas trees as far as the eye can see

Papa Noel Vision Statement: It is the vision of Papa Noel Christmas Trees to have a real, quality Christmas tree be a part of every Christmas celebration in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. And as a welcoming symbol of light, hope, beauty and old-fashioned magic in ever-changing times, to create an experience that enhances family traditions, celebrations and memories for succeeding generations.

The Creston NC Farm: In 1976, we began a new adventure. One of working the land and having it sustain us. We started with a "pick your own" strawberry patch that, although not very remunerative, reinforced our belief that making a living off the land was a worthy aspiration. Then we planted just a few hundred Fraser Fir seedlings, which would, after eight years of tender loving care, become a marketable Christmas tree. Those first years were lean. We bought partially grown fields of larger Fraser Fir, and finished the job started by the original planters. Soon we had enough trees to take to market. It had taken us five challenging years. After drawing up a list of criteria of the attributes we hoped our potential market area would possess, we started off on a cross-country odyssey, hoping to find our market niche. We drove coast to coast, searching for our ideal market. The last city on the tour was Austin, Texas. It was November 8th, 1980. John Lennon was just assassinated and the entire city was in a state of shock and mourning. It seemed like such a small village at the time and we felt connected to everyone. We looked no further and Austin, Texas became our second home.

And now twenty-three years later, we bring thousands of the best Christmas trees we can grow to our ever-expanding family of customers. And we are finally, finally… making a living off the land.

Texas Retail Lots: In 1981, we took our first trees to Austin. We had one lot on old 183 near Breaker Lane and another in Oak hill. We sold out on December, 14th and headed home thinking we had made a good choice of Austin. Now twenty-two years later, we operate eight locations in Austin and three in San Antonio and still manage to be home most Christmases. We hire over one hundred part time helpers from the local area and we all have a great time providing our beautiful Papa Noel Christmas trees to our loyal, appreciative customers. We have made so many wonderful friends over the years and can't ever imagine a Christmas without Austin and San Antonio.