Our Story

          Before our first harvest, my father, Jimmy Coan, set out on a cross-country journey in search of the right place, the right people, and the right spirit to share our Christmas trees with. His travels led him to Austin, Texas, on the day John Lennon was assassinated. That evening, he witnessed a city united in grief—a community of strangers brought together by shared sorrow and compassion. Though he was far from home, he felt something genuine in Austin’s heart. It was a sense of kinship that stayed with him.

He knew he had found the right place.

Jimmy returned to the mountains of North Carolina with a vision: to bring Fraser Fir Christmas trees, grown in the cool mountain air on our family farm in Creston, Ashe County, to families in Texas. In 1981, Papa Noël Christmas Trees opened for its first season in Austin.

This year, we are proud to celebrate 45 years in business. What began with my father, a load of fresh-cut Christmas trees, and a belief in the people of Austin has grown into a family tradition spanning generations. Many of the children who visited our lots years ago now return with children—and even grandchildren—of their own.

Since my father’s passing, it has been my responsibility and privilege to carry his work forward. The business has grown and changed over the years, but the things that matter most have stayed the same: fresh trees, honest service, hard work, and treating every family who visits us like a neighbor.

To us, a Christmas tree has never been just another product. It is where families gather, where presents are opened, where photographs are taken, and where memories are made. It becomes part of a family’s story. Knowing that our trees have stood at the center of so many Christmas mornings for the past 45 years is something our family will never take for granted.

From our family to yours, thank you for welcoming Papa Noël into your homes, for making us part of your Christmas traditions, and for helping carry my father’s legacy forward year after year.

Merry Christmas,

Beau Coan