Tis the Season: Local Merchants Prepare for the Holidays

If you look closely, you'll see signs that the holiday season is almost here; many Palm Harbor stores have already put Christmas themed items on prominent display, holiday decorations are up in some shopping center parking lots, and a familiar red and white striped tent is once again taking up a large space in the parking lot of the Highland Lakes Plaza on US 19.

Mitch Heckman and his crew spent Thursday putting up the tent for "Papa John's Christmas Trees". This will be the 23rd year that Heckman has sold trees at the lot. For those who do not want to do the math, that means he sold his first tree at the Palm Harbor lot in 1988.

This year, Papa John's Christmas Trees will open for business on Black Friday. The trees will arrive next week from the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains. Heckman says he'll be selling Frazier Firs from 4 to 12 feet tall. He and his staff will be at the lot until all the trees are sold.

Highland Lakes Plaza is located on the east side of US 19 before Nebraska Ave.