BEMIDJI -- It’s that magical time of year again, and one local family has made it their mission to spread holiday cheer to all with a festive new business venture.
Just two weekends ago, while folks were out Black Friday shopping, Abby and Meagan Mistic were busy debuting their Mistic Christmas Tree Village -- a 40-acre stretch of land about 12 miles northeast of Bemidji near Turtle River Chophouse -- that the couple decked out with fresh pre-cut Christmas trees for sale.
But rather than adopt the traditional pick-and-go style of a standard tree farm, the Mistics decided to infuse theirs with a little extra holiday spirit.
They created a place where families in and around Bemidji can go and pick that perfect Christmas tree, while also enjoying an interactive storybook lane, playing holiday-themed games, visiting with Santa and snacking on hot chocolate and cookies from Raphael’s Bakery.
“This is our first year, and we're just kind of starting out and learning as we go,” said Meagan Mistic, co-owner of Mistic Christmas Tree Village. “We knew that there was nothing near us like this -- to go out and pick a fresh Christmas tree -- and we figured that, this year, everyone needed a little extra joy with everything going on in the world right now.”
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In beginning their endeavor, Mistic said she and her wife agreed they wanted to give the community an authentic Christmas tree farm experience. However, they had a small problem in that they had no farm and didn’t want to wait nearly a decade to grow their own trees.
So, they devised a clever idea: “It just kind of came to us that we could actually put PVC pipe in the ground and get pre-cut trees,” Mistic said. “We have them set up like a Christmas tree farm, but you don't have to cut the trees down. So once we came up with that idea, we realized that we could do (our business) sooner than we had planned.”
In October, after finding a Wisconsin-based tree source, the couple “pulled the trigger” on their undertaking and spent the remaining months building attractions and readying the land.
Now, upon visiting Mistic Christmas Tree Village, adults discover a variety of tree types and wreaths to beautify their homes, as well as an assortment of backdrops for family photo opportunities. But more importantly, children uncover a myriad of games and activities, such as a snowball zone (which has fake snowballs and ice walls for snowball fights), a reindeer ring-toss and a creative area to write and send letters to Santa.
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The Christmas Tree Village also has a couple of fire pits for families to warm up by while enjoying their cookies and hot cocoa.
“We also have a live Santa walking around, and, if the parents are comfortable with it, he’ll take pictures with the kiddos,” Mistic said. “So with Santa, he walks around and just kind of chats with everyone and takes pictures if they want it.”
As a new business owner in a COVID-19 world, Mistic said it’s been helpful, for safety’s sake, that the Christmas Tree Village is exclusively outside. However, she said they still instituted safeguards to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, such as individually wrapped crayons -- rather than communal crayons -- for letters to Santa.
“We aren't offering any cream or sugar or anything like that for drinks because we’re just trying to keep everything to a minimum, as far as touching and that kind of thing goes,” Mistic said. “We also weren't able to do benches or chairs around the fire pits because we can't have a congregation. But everyone's been really good about sticking with their families and giving others time with games when there's already someone there. Everyone's been really good about social distancing.”
Mistic said the community turnout and reaction to the Christmas tree village has been supportive and grateful, with many asking if the holiday business will return again next year.
As of now, she said they hope to do so, along with the addition of more games and possibly some local vendors. She also noted they’re toying with the idea of a portable skating rink.
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Nevertheless, as the countdown to Christmas continues, Mistic stressed that all are welcome to Mistic Christmas Tree Village for a day of holiday fun, even if not buying a tree.
“We have a lot of people thanking us for just having something available to get their kids outside -- or even to be able to do anything -- especially now with this latest shutdown,” Mistic said. “They can't go to the movie theaters and they can't go to the science center, or that kind of thing. I think that kids are really missing that, and that was a big reason why we wanted to do it. It’s just to bring a little bit of joy into this year, and everyone has been so grateful and thankful for that.”
If you go
What: Mistic Christmas Tree Village
Where: 7735 Island View Drive NE (next to Turtle River Chophouse)
When: Fridays from noon to 4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $10 per person; children ages 3 and younger are free
Details:
There will be a $10 off special on trees the weekend of Dec. 11. Trees start at $40, wreaths are $25, and porch pots are $35.
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Christmas tree pricing:
Balsam
Blue (5 to 6 feet): $55
Yellow (6 to 7 feet): $65
Green (7 to 8 feet): $70
Scotch Pine
No tag (5 to 7 feet): $45
White Pine
Pink (6 to 7 feet): $40
Orange (8 to 9 feet): $60
