Where to experience buying a real tree...?

I voted for a pre lit fake fir, but got overruled by The Boy...

I know we can go to Home Depot but The Boy LOVED it when we went to a tree farm and did the hayride, cocoa and marshmallow roasting thing while buying a tree a few years back... any suggestions on a good nearby place for a family fun experience to buy our tree?

tonight may not be a good night to do it.

 

Snickers Gap off of Route 7 past Round Hill. we have been going there for over 8 years, this year's tree is the largest, around 9'. Paid $50.00 for it, I believe it was Section #18. They were trying to clear the section as the trees were getting too big and crowded each other.

Oh yeah, the have hot cider and it is on the side of the mountain and the people who run the farm are very nice and pleasent.

 

sounds lovely!!! that is now on our list- thank you. i just found this neato website: http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/VAxmasnorthern.php

 

I second the Snickers Gap Tree Farm. We went there for the first time this year and it was terrific. Section 18 did have a great selection. I made sure to have the kids drag the tree to the baling area. It was great to watch them struggle with trying to pull the tree. They ended up getting inside the rope and pushing the rope (dragging the tree) with them.

Do not go to Great Country Farms for trees unless you're looking for a Charlie Brown tree. I don't know why but their sparse selection was horrible.

 

Day Star Farm! 10 minutes away, off Reservoir Rd, off Evergreen Mills Rd.
Family run farm, have pony rides and hot chocolate for the kids. Pick out your tree and cut it down yourself or they will do it for you.
Great, great people.

 

Loudoun Valleys Office of Economic Development has information about local tree farms and an interactive map for finding them on their website. Most of the local tree farms are listed.

Based on posts here in the past and word of mouth, we've been to:

Day Star Farm - we bought our tree there two years ago and again this year and were happy with the trees and friendliness of the staff.

Pruitt's Little Farm - we bought our tree there last year. The trees seemed a little small, but I think they are "growing" their tree business.

I haven't been there myself but have heard good things about Middleburg Christmas Tree Farm and about Snickers Gap Christmas Tree Farm.

I think the trick is to know what kind of tree works best for you. I like the appearance of the ones with soft needles but they generally don't hold the ornaments as well - the branches bend.

 

You are the parent, why are you allowing your kid to "over rule" you on this?

 

I think it's a nice tradition to go out and cut a tree for Christmas. I'm trying to decide if the net ecological effect is positive or negative, since it is supporting a business that would otherwise not grow entire fields of trees (which is why I feel like it's OK). But anyway, we've been to Ticonderoga Farm and thought it had a good combination of proximity to Ashburn and fun things like a fort and hay bales to jump on. It's been several years since I've been there and the last time was when a drought had affected their selection quite a bit. FYI they don't allow dogs there. This year and last we went to Snickers Gap (they do allow dogs) and I like the mountainside view and the trees are gorgeous but both years we've had a bit of sticker shock ($75 this year but for a pretty big tree). The lady did say they look smaller in the field than they will in the house, and she was right. I think the selection was better at Snickers Gap. Daystar Farm was also good - the pony rides would be for small kids, not too exciting for the bigger ones. They had a nice tradition of a "candy cane tree" the kids had to go find and then could have a candy cane from it. I'd recommend any one of those places, and have heard good things about Middleburg but haven't been able to find it yet.

 

simple- Christmas traditions mean a lot more to him than to me, so why not?

he didn't demand a real tree by throwing a tantrum, he said he thinks it would be cool if we went altogether to get a tree like we did a few years ago. he likes "doing memories" as a family, as he put it.

you learn to pick your battles as a parent, and forcing a fake pre-lit tree down a 10 year old's throat when he wants to have a real tree seems- well, stupid. and mean.

thanks all for the great ideas- I think it will be Snickers Gap! and yes oz- HE gets a vote in picking the tree...

 

Just remember to let him drag the tree for awhile, my kids each had turns. Also, he may enjoy cutting it down too. My boys in the past got a chance to be a lumberjack and both enjoyed it. This year they were playing hide-n-seek in the trees so no help in the cutting. Bring the camera, to help with his memory making.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

ohhh YES! Oh he will feel it- cutting, dragging, and wrost of all- HELPING WITH THE LIGHTS. he'll vote fake fir in 2009 for sure! lol i will definitely have the camera running.

actually, he LIKES work with a purpose- he will want to do this every year, especially because his Grandpa does it.

i am working on being less Grinchy- this- along with a few glasses of Gluhwein- should help me on my way... artydance2:

 

we've used Pruitt's little farm the last two years, it's a nice experience!

 

you? Grinchy? Not a chance!

 

you'd be surprised... lol you always see me at my best and at least 1 cab sav into gettin' happy! :rolleyes3:

 

Milltown Creek Tree Farm...off of 287 south of Lovettsville. Free cider, carts (no dragging), and they have ornaments and wreaths for sale, too. This year the big ones (>7ft) are going for $25 so they can clear some space. We've been going there for the last 15 years, at least.

 

We have gone to Lowelands Farm in Middleburg for the past 5 years. It's a wonderful place to get a tree and we've encountered people with grown children who are still going there. Unfortunately, they're not open this weekend but I highly recommend them for next year.

http://www.lowelandsfarm.com/06soldoutpage.htm

 

we chose Pruitt's and were so so pleased! got a beautiful, full Norwiegan, had hot cocoa, brought our dog along and he enjoyed biscuits and sniffing every single tree. they were so full of small town hospitality, it was exactly what we were looking for. The Boy was smiling ear to ear- he helped cut the tree down, drag it to the netting area, helped push it through the netting machine, and was exhausted after!

i think we found a new family tradition- Pruitt's is really special. thanks for all of the recs!!!

 

bump to a timely thread!!! can't wait to get our tree next week at Pruitt!

 

If you have a large family room, you may want to consider Snickers Gap. If you like Blue Spruce trees some of them are over 12' tall and if the are marked with a red tag they are $65 no matter what size. They are trying to thin some of the trees. Also, you may see that the trees this year are more expensive than years past. Good luck with your tree and Merry Christmas.

 

Costco has live trees for $34.99 (I believe). Some kind of spruce something from North Carolina. They smelled good!