As the turkey and fixings are put away after Thanksgiving, many families dig straight into the Christmas spirit by purchasing one of the most festive decorating pieces of the season — a Christmas tree.
And in Evansville on the West Side, the most popular stop for fresh balsam pine, Frasier firs, and Christmas wreaths is Boy Scout Troop 399’s lot on the grounds of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The idea for the tree lot began decades ago with troop leader Bert Miller, a legend of Troop 399 according to current leader Roger Nurrenbern.
“It started by selling a couple dozen trees off the church steps,” he says. “Over the years, it just kept progressing. We’re the largest tree lot in the Tri-State.”
Each year before Thanksgiving, the scouts of Troop 399 welcome two semi-loads full of Christmas trees from vendors in Nova Scotia and North Carolina. Sales begin on the Friday after Thanksgiving and all proceeds go to supporting the boys.
“The atmosphere of the lot always puts people in that Christmas spirit,” says Nurrenbern. “The scouts get excited about it.”
O Tannenbaum
Troop 399 Christmas Tree Lot, Scared Heart Catholic Church
2701 W. Franklin St.
Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sun. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.