For four decades, families across Centre County have bundled up and made their way to the Cannizzaro Christmas Tree Shoppe, a small, family-run operation tucked beside Meyer Dairy that has become a generational holiday tradition in State College.
This year marks the shop’s 40th anniversary, and for the Cannizzaro family, who took over the business in 2006, the milestone marks nearly 20 years as running the business as a family unit.
“It’s always been really important to our family,” said Alicia Cannizzaro, who helps run the business alongside her parents, Pete and Ellen. “We’ve lived here for over 20 years. My brothers and I grew up here. So it’s always been special to connect with local residents and local businesses and just be supportive of each other.”
The shop began in the 1980s, founded by a family friend of the Cannizzaros who ran it for more than 20 years. As he aged, the business passed between a few local families until Pete and Ellen took over in 2006 with hopes of building something their children could share.
“We’ve been married 37 years,” Pete said. “When the opportunity came for us to make this a business for our family, we really were thinking about the kids — to be able to do business together. And now what’s amazing is my daughter is doing a lot of the business. It’s neat to see that.”
The Cannizzaros have run the shop for 19 seasons, relying on help from their children, Alicia, Jake and Josh, as well as extended family members who temporarily managed the stand during a few years when Pete and Ellen were unable to do so.
Today, Alicia handles advertising and marketing and works with her mother to design and decorate the shop’s popular handmade pine wreaths. Pete oversees the physical labor of cutting, trimming and loading trees.
“Last year was the first year both of my brothers weren’t in town,” she said. “I ended up working most days by myself, so I had to learn how to lift a tree onto a car and tie it down. We’ve evolved as far as how we run things, but the business model has always stayed pretty simple.”
Every tree sold at the Cannizzaro Christmas Tree Shoppe comes from a local tree farm. These farms aren’t open to the public but partner directly with the family each year, according to Alicia.
“It’s a good way to partner with local farms and local businesses,” she said. “We buy trees from them, and they let us sell them next to the dairy. It’s really special to see two small businesses working together.”
Some families have been coming since the shop first opened 40 years ago, Ellen said.
“There are families who’ve been coming here since it began,” she said. “You watch kids grow up. It’s a collective family experience for them and for us.”
Beyond the tree selection, the Cannizzaros take pride in creating a festive, welcoming atmosphere filled with Christmas lights, music and a cozy environment, creating a place that encourages people to linger.
“We’re all very people-oriented,” Alicia said. “Christmas is such a happy season. Yes, it’s a business, but we also genuinely love it. It’s just fun to connect with people.”
The wreaths the family creates, made with real pine and finished with hand-decorated bows, have become a cornerstone of the stand, selling out nearly every year.
“We love it,” she said. “We love the people, the season, the energy. And getting to have Christmas music on all the time is an added bonus.”
The season’s length depends heavily on tree availability. In drought years, when local growers struggle, the shop has sold out as early as mid-December. In strong growing years, they’ve stayed open through Dec. 23.
Cannizzaro Christmas Tree Shoppe opened for the season on Nov. 16. Hours vary based on weather, but the stand typically runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
