Hallmark Christmas scenes come alive at Inspiration Acres

At family-owned market Inspiration Acres in Slinger, Wisconsin, familiar visions of Hallmark Christmas movies come to life for a few weekends of each winter: a picturesque holiday gift market, locally-sourced Christmas trees, and photo ops for visiting families.

“We try to get people a full Christmas experience, and stuff to do as a family,” said Kara Kasten-Olson, one of Inspiration Acres’ co-owners. “I think the main thing is that we try to provide an atmosphere and a fun outing for people to kinda kick off their holiday season.”

Kasten-Olson owns and operates the pop-up market with her sister Krista, along with assistance from their cousins, aunt, and grandmother. This holiday season marks the fifth year that they’ve run the market as a family. They grow their Christmas trees on a farm in Redgranite, something they’re still getting used to – they bought the land three years ago with little prior experience in Christmas tree farming, but their family’s background as dairy farmers has helped ease the transition. 

The family sells the trees at the market in Slinger, which also features 40 local vendors selling gifts, decor, and a plethora of other whimsical holiday items. The market’s 2024 season is particularly special for Inspiration Acres, as they’ve begun partnering with local organizations. “We always do our usual activities, but this year we’re also having the Washington County 4-H coming out and doing some of the kids’ activities with us,” said Kasten-Olson.

Charity is also important to the family’s mission each winter. “Every year we feature two different charities,” said Kasten-Olson. “The two charities we’re featuring this year are Ruby’s Pantry out of West Bend, and then Jocelyn’s Forever Sparkling foundation – which provides support and comfort after families lose young children. A portion of our proceeds goes to those two charities at the end of our season.”

Ultimately, Inspiration Acres’ goal is to let members of their community in on their family traditions. “We try to provide a place where people can come pick out a Christmas tree, and we want to be a part of their tradition,” said Kasten-Olson. “For anyone that purchases a tree, we give them this outdoor ornament, ‘cause that was something that we did with our mom and our kids when they were little.”

Inspiration Acres is open on the last weekend of November and the first weekend of December, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.