Tucked away at the end of a half-mile gravel road northwest of Columbus lies a place where holiday traditions have been instilled for more than a quarter of a century.
On Saturday, nearly every parking space was filled during opening day at Tower Family Christmas Tree Farm, 4416 W. Lowell Rd., Columbus.
Dozens of adults and children came out to make their choice from the five acres of spruce, balsam and pine Christmas trees at the choose-and-cut farm near the Lowell Bridge fishing site, where lush and rolling terrain on the banks of the Flat Rock River provide an idyllic ambiance.
When the farm opened 26 years ago, Ed and Cathy Tower sold fewer than 100 trees the entire holiday season. This week on the day after Thanksgiving, they expect to sell more than 300 trees, said Jason Tower, son of the owners.
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When Princeton Park residents James and Nancy Fallon arrived on Saturday, their entourage included their son and his wife, Michael and Deidra Fallon of Indianapolis, and their two children, Rhys and Wesley. Their daughter, Megan Skelton of Noblesville, also made the trip with her two young children, Miles and Lilianna.
From the barn area, Michael Fallon pulled a sleigh with all four children about 100 yards until they reached a 7-foot White Pine that his parents had already pre-selected for their home. After James Fallon carefully cut it down, the tree was pulled back on the sleigh with all four children still on board.
There was a period when James and Nancy Fallon put up an artificial tree for the holidays. In fact, James Fallon initially grumbled about going out and buying a live tree when their artificial tree lost its luster, Nancy Fallon said.
But after making their first trip to the Tower Farm over a decade ago, it’s James Fallon who now insists on coming back every year, she said.
“This is our family Thanksgiving,” Nancy Fallon said. “Coming here has become a family tradition.”
Like many customers, Nancy Fallon says the scent is a real tree’s greatest appeal.
For Nathan and Mimi Walsh of Columbus, it’s important to arrive at Tower on opening day to enjoy the best selection of trees. But it’s far more important to bring their three daughters — Amaylie, Andrea and Briella — to the farm, Nathan Walsh said.
“The entire farm is decorated beautifully for the kids,” Nathan Walsh said. “This is a fun family event, and a big part of our Christmas.”
During their visit, the Walsh family purchased two Fraser trees: a large one for the front room, and a smaller one for a living room, Nathan Walsh said.
A retired Columbus East High School math and science teacher, Ed Tower began planting trees in 1984 as a hobby that his whole family could engage in. Cathy Tower is also retired after a career as a math teacher at the middle school and adult-education levels.
Although the Tower children have long been adults, they still remain engaged with the farm to this day. Although he now resides in Dubois County, Jason Tower brings his family to help out on weekends.
Daughter Jeanette, who lives near Louisville, regularly recruits her family to pitch in as well during peak times.
Three years ago the Towers decided to open the Saturday before Thanksgiving rather than wait until the Friday after the holiday, Jason Tower said.
That was for a number of reasons, he said.
First, there are an increasing number of families who like to celebrate their Thanksgiving and Christmas all at one time, so they want to have their tree up and decorated by Thursday, Jason Tower said.
Then, there will be families who will be traveling for most of the upcoming holiday weekend, so they want to get their tree up before they hit the road, he said.
Since the Tower farm is known to plant two trees for each one they cut down, many of their customers view fresh Christmas trees as a renewable resource, said Tower, whose full-time occupation is superintendent of the Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center.
After 26 years in business, the Tower farm has attracted three generations of customers that provides the Tower family with many treasured holiday memories, Ed Tower said.
For example, a couple from Franklin whose son loved the farm so much brought his girlfriend to the farm to propose, Ed Tower said.
There’s also the former classmates who came out as children who are now bringing their grandchildren to the farm every year, Jason Tower said.
During the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Tower family will have relatives coming in from Utah, Minnesota, South Carolina, Maryland and Kentucky to help sell trees as part of their own holiday celebration, Ed Tower said.
Their fulfillment comes from watching happy kids together with loving adults as they establish traditions that may well be handed down to future generations, he said.
While the tree farm will be open as long as they have inventory, they have been known to run out of trees a week after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Jason Tower said.
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Here are long-established businesses in Bartholomew County that sell fresh Christmas trees.
Tower Family Christmas Tree Farm
4416 W. Lowell Rd., Columbus.
812-378-3505
Hackman Tree Farm
12076 W. County Road 50S, Columbus
812-342-6797
Romine Tree Farm
16747 Huffer Road, Hope
812-546-5587
Daily Farm Market
2255 W. Jonathan Moore Pike, Columbus
812-372-3276
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