Red Shed Christmas Trees will officially reopen its seasonal Montavillage location in the Vinje & Son’s parking lot near SE 78th Avenue and Washington Street on November 29th after the Thanksgiving holiday. However, shoppers looking to beat the rush can find a wide selection of Douglas, Nordmann, Grand, and Noble Fir trees by shopping early, as long as they do not mind dodging staff setting up the lot. Trees selection ranges from tabletop two-foot decorations to 15-foot tall trees, including potted live trees. Shoppers can buy wreaths, garlands, and other decorations to extend their holiday decor. Owner Lesle Janssen has once again brought in local artists and makers to sell their crafts at a gift boutique located at the southeast corner of the property.
All Red Shed trees come from Greg Smith’s Molalla Tree Farms, where they locally harvested them with minimal pesticides. With 200 acres of naturally grown product, Janssen values the dependable relationship with the Molalla, Oregon, grower. “I really like Greg. He puts a lot of love into his trees. He has many different fields to choose from. So when there’s a hot summer. There’s a blight. There’s this. There’s that. He still has things to choose from, so we’re always getting good trees,” said Janssen.
As with previous years, Red Shed Trees is cash only to keep their prices low and maintain a respectful salary for the seasonal staff. That saves processing fees and reduces the payment bottleneck that complicates checkout. Lesle Janssen often makes space in her tree lot for free festive activities. As in previous years, Peter McNamee Photography provided Mount Hood and Crater Lake shots on massive backdrops for people to pose against for free self-service portraits.
McNamee is a Montavilla resident and one of the vendors selling their works in the boutique. The pottery and soaps from Shane Reaney Studios will also return to the holiday supply booth. For those looking for a mood-setting addition to their centerpiece, Hannah Miller sells distinctive beeswax candles through her company, Waxing & Raining Handmade Goods. The boutique will also carry pocket mistletoe, felted and crocheted. Sugar pinecones are the newest addition to the holiday decorating options sold by Red Shed. Janssen described them as “huge and off the hook.” Shoppers can also purchase confections made by McTavish Shortbread for an edible treat while supplies last. These baked-to-order items are a special treat rarely available in small quantities and often sell out, but Janssen plans to have a good supply this year.
Red Shed Christmas Trees is open during setup and will remain open until they run out of stock. People can visit the lot daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an additional hour in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays. They have both standard wreaths and hard-to-find juniper wreaths. Garland is sold by the foot, up to 75 feet long, and customers needing to buy a stand or arrange delivery also have options. Red Shed is a Montavilla tradition, serving 3,000 residents each year, and they are the official supplier of the community Holiday Tree installed in the Public Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. The tree-lighting ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 7th, from 4 to 6 p.m. Organizers will light up the Montavilla Plaza Christmas tree at 5 p.m.
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