STATE COLLEGE – As the temperatures drop and the region sees its first flurries of snow, the family-owned Cannizzaro Christmas Tree Shoppe sets up for the holiday season.
Located next to Meyer Dairy on South Atherton Street, the business is run by Peter and Ellen Cannizzaro — and over time, their children — Josh, Jake and Alisha — have joined them.
Alisha Cannizzaro is helping out this year, and said she has loved growing up with the shop in her family. She said the Christmas tree shop was originally owned by her mother’s best friend, Edie Kiratzis, and has been owned by a few people over the past 40 years.
“In 2006 my family decided to buy it because we love Christmas and we had just relocated to the area from New Jersey,” Cannizzaro said. “My parents were working and this seemed like a fun side hustle — so we bought it and we’ve owned it since.”
The Christmas magic usually starts the week before or week of Thanksgiving, when the family and seasonal employees set up tree stands, receives tree deliveries from local farms, unties the trees and lines them all up for sale.
They also haul a makeshift shed onto a truck to bring over and use at the shop, which serves as the display area for wreaths and garlands from a local partner vendor.
Cannizzaro said it depends on the rain during a year, but the shop has sold as many as 600 trees in one season and as low as 300.
“It really comes down to how many trees we’re able to get,” Cannizzaro said. “But also, there’s definitely a movement to using fake trees, so people are buying less of the real trees. But this year was a really good year — we’re expecting to get more, which is why we’ve been reaching out to people to let them know.”
According to Cannizzaro, one of the biggest challenges of the business is selling trees outside in the bitter State College winter, especially when they’re open all day.
“Last year it snowed earlier,” Cannizzaro said. “And all the trees were covered in snow, so we had to go and shake them off. The weather is the hardest part, everything else is great.”
Since the business has been operating for so long, Cannizzaro said they usually get returning customers who are dedicated to supporting local businesses.
“You’d be surprised how easily we can remember people’s names,” Cannizzaro said. “Building connections in the community is really special.”
Cannizzaro said this is a revamp year for the Christmas tree shop, and they’re working on getting apparel to sell and a net machine to wrap the trees in for transport. They’re also running a raffle this year for anyone who buys a tree to be entered in to win a wreath.
By coming out to Cannizzaro Christmas Shoppe, customers are not only supporting a
local business, but they are also receiving a holiday experience they couldn’t elsewhere.
“Kids can get a tree and then go in (to Meyer Dairy) and get some ice cream,” Cannizzaro said.
The Cannizzaro Christmas Tree Shoppe opens Nov. 21 on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
