In a world where we’ve seen our in-person gatherings cut to a minimum because of lockdowns, mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, more than a few people might be feeling nostalgic for an old-fashioned Christmas experience—part of which is opting for a live Christmas tree this year.
Molly and Socks Christmas Tree Farm, outside of Bristow, is doing their best to cater to those who are looking for the authentic, old-fashioned Christmas experience. “I’ve always loved Christmas,” says Sherri Hurst, who owns the farm with her husband David. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with being born five days before, or having my first child two days after Christmas.”
Sherri’s love of Christmas has become a full-time seasonal endeavor with their entire family, as the farm that started planting trees in 2016 now features a barnyard with a goats, donkeys and a miniature horse; a gingerbread house made from pallets that you can’t help but step inside; a fire pit with s’more kits available for purchase, stations for hot chocolate and apple cider, a Christmas shop, and lots of room for families to enjoy the outdoors while choosing their Christmas tree. “Authentic” seems like an understatement.
The Hursts work to reuse as much of the trees as they can. branches that are trimmed are then used to make wreaths. Slices cut from the tree trunks are hand-painted into ornaments and sold in the Christmas Shop. In almost every way, they work the Christmas spirit into everything you see.
Now in their second year of operation, the farm looked like it might never have gotten off the ground, if that first year was any indication. “The first Friday we opened, we had freezing rain,” David Hurst told Sapulpa Times last week. “That Saturday, we lost power and internet. Sunday, the wind blew all of our trees over.”
Despite those initial setbacks, the farm seems to have gained everything it lost and then some. “We sold 41 trees on the first day we opened this year,” Sherri said. David echoed his wife’s statement. “Compared to last year, we did great—by a couple of orders of magnitude,” he said. “Overwhelmed at times, but we survived.”
On Saturday, the farm was hosting Santa Claus for outdoor photography and had invited the Reindeer Club of Oklahoma to show off two of their reindeer cows—one of which was only seven months old. Grace, as she was named, wore a thick grey and white coat of fur, and wandered around her pin, looking for handouts.
The popularity of the farm became increasingly apparent, even if not everyone could see it right away. Before they opened for business this year, David and Sherri’s son Chad, who purchased forty acres adjacent to his parents property, suggested to his dad that they build in overflow parking up the hill from the original lot. David balked initially, thinking they wouldn’t need it. But eventually he relented, and a second parking lot was added. By the time we left the farm on early Saturday afternoon, the overflow lot was full and people were parking in the grass next to it.
“I love doing this,” Chad said, as he helped tie a tree down to the top of an SUV. “It’s great to work with your family, especially at a time like this,” he said.
Santa will be visiting Molly and Socks again this weekend! Get details here on their Facebook Event.
