Even without a dusting of snow that is a trademark of the season, there was no other way to describe the atmosphere of Dowagiac’s Butler Tree Farm Friday afternoon than as a winter wonderland.

With sturdy brown structures lining the grounds, adorned with green-and-red-colored decorations, and evergreen pine trees, stretching as far as the eye can see, the property resembled something out a Christmas-time storybook, brightly illuminated by the sunny, clear skies.

It comes as little wonder, then, as to why many families from the Dowagiac area and beyond have made pilgrimages to the local tree farm part of their yearly Yuletide tradition.

The business, located at 21515 Crane St., Dowagiac, is now open for the winter season.

From now through Dec. 21, families may stop by the grounds to pick out the perfect Christmas tree for their home, which they may cut down themselves or choose from one of the property’s selection of pre-cut trees. Farm employees also offer free mechanical tree cleaning, stand drilling and wrapping to customers with every purchase.

Though, as those who frequent Butler Tree Farm already know, owners Sam and Brenda Butler have turned the property into a place where families come out, not just to buy something, but to create memories.

With a petting zoo — which includes everything from goats to llamas and peacocks —holiday gift and bake shops and a special workshop where Santa swings by to visit children every weekend, there are plenty ways for families to spend the day at the tree farm beyond just roaming around the fields looking for the right spruce to fell.

“It’s more than a place where people just come and cut a tree,” Sam said. “When people come up here, they are here for hours.”

The couple started the farm in 1998, as a way to give Sam something to do after the Marine Corps veteran retired from his job with the railroad. Knowing nothing about Christmas trees “except that they take seven to nine years to grow before you can sell them,” he decided to plant a few trees on the couple’s property on Crane Street and see how things went.

Three years later, on Nov. 23, 2001, they sold their first tree — a photo of their first customer still hangs on a wall behind the cash register — and the rest was history.

The business now spans 30 acres, with around 20,000 trees, spanning various sizes and species, including the ever-popular Fraser fir.

While the business has around 20 employees on hand to help customers during the winter season, most families still prefer cut to their own trees, using a cart to drag their felled pine back to entrance for processing and payment. The property is almost always buzzing with activity during the holiday season, no matter the weather or temperature outside, Sam said.

“The more snow there is on the ground, the better they like it,” he said.

An admitted perfectionist, Sam has added a number of amenities to the tree farm over the years in order to make it a more enjoyable experience for his customers. Just this past year, the couple expanded the gift shop, moving the bake shop into a new space inside.

The combination of a memorable shopping experience, a strong selection of trees and a caring and supportive staff has resulted in families — some hailing as far as Chicago — coming back to the farm every winter for years, a dozen or more in some cases, Sam said.

“We’ve been doing this long enough they have met children who come here with their parents, seen them grow up, get married and start bringing their own children with them to visit,” he said. “That is the best part about the job, for me.”

Butler Tree Farm is open from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. On the final day of the season, Thursday, Dec. 21, the business will be open from 1 to 4 p.m.

For more information, people may call the tree farm at (269) 782-4650 or visit butlertrees.com.