Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "Families have been coming to us for generations," said Steve Jurek of Jurek Tree Farm on WBEN Tuesday. " In a few years, we'll be celebrating 100 years in the Christmas tree business. We've been around here for a while."
Most tree farms offer the full tree-finding experience for families, or
the option of selecting a pre-cut tree.
"People really like the family experience. They bundle up the kids, bring the dog and sled and they get to go out in the woods. Some of them specifically say they're looking for a 'Griswold Christmas tree'. We laugh, but we've got those too," he added.
Sometimes, Jurek said people are in more of a hurry or the weather doesn't cooperate, so they have the option of picking a pre-cut tree.
When is the big weekend for getting trees? "It depends. If it's raining, people
tend to delay or push it off."
Another big factor is the Buffalo Bills schedule. "When the Bills had a lot of 1 p.m. EST games on a Sunday, even if they weren't doing very well, you would notice that few people would be getting their tree at that time. In the last few years, they've been pretty exciting to watch, and we've had a lot of prime time games, which means people are available to get their tree on Sundays.
90% of Jurek's lot are Fraser firs. "For needle longevity and holding of ornaments, that's the most desirable. It's definitely a fan favorite. If you want to do your own experience, we have about twelve different varieties. Firs, spruces and pines. It's an important consideration because people put their trees up early, sometimes the week before Thanksgiving. They look for trees that will last the longest."
Jurek's main tree farm is located at 6600 Strickler Road in Clarence. They sell cut-your-own as well as pre-cuts. They have a full do it yourself operation at 11370 Hunts Corners Rd, in Newstead. "If you want the authentic Griswald experience, that's for you," said Jurek. They also sell pre-cut trees only at 9170 Transit Road, next to Grover's Bar and Grill in East Amherst.