**This Post was written in 2019. As such, the content and exhibits in the review below may be outdated. Please look out for updated content on this location in the near future!
‘Tis the Season! It’s Christmas time and one of our favorite family traditions is chopping down the Christmas tree!
We like to get our tree by the second weekend in December- it’s late by most people’s standards but it’s been our tradition forever. This year was interesting though – apparently there’s a tree shortage. Of course, because we wait, I was getting nervous and worried that we wouldn’t be able to cut our own tree down this year. Fortunately, we decided on a farm this year that had plenty of trees. You would not know that there was a shortage at Dzen Tree Farm in South Windsor!
Dzen Tree Farm is located at 215 Barber Hill Road in South Windsor.
You’ll have no issue finding them – the big reindeer on the side of the road is not something you can miss!
And if you do miss that, there are even smaller signs for their entrance.
The farm is open every day during the Christmas season from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You’ll want to arrive well before 4 p.m. if you can because once it gets dark, (1) it gets cold and (2) it’s hard to see!
For the 2019 season, all trees were $55 with tax. That included choose and cut-your-own or farm fresh, pre-cut trees.
After entering the drive, you’ll spot a red hut. There are attendants that can answer all your questions about the farm and cutting your own tree. They are really knowledgeable and very nice!
They also loan you a saw!
Past the red hut, you’ll head up a small hill towards the large parking lot at Dzen Tree Farm. Even on a busy weekend like the one we went on, you can find parking.
Where you park, honestly, doesn’t matter because you could find your tree anywhere on the farm. As the man at the front gate told me, there are over 60 acres for you to explore. And he wasn’t kidding. It’s a HUGE farm with a lot of trees! According to their website, they plant about 1,400 trees per acre. You do the math- that’s a lot of trees! Dzen Tree Farm offers Fraser firs, Balsam firs and Blue Spruces. I honestly couldn’t tell you the difference. I just know there were some that were tall and skinny, some that were short and fat, some that were tall and full, and some that were adorably small. The trees even grow up to 10 feet tall! Whatever you like, you will find it. You may walk around for a while (I mean, there are 30 acres of trees!), but you will find the perfect tree!
And once you find it, you will claim it as yours and protect it from anyone. Since they don’t allow tagging (which I loved this because I feel like at some farms, every time you find the perfect tree, someone else has claimed it), we found our own way to call dibs.
“This is mine.”
As you can see, we went right after the big storm a week and a half ago. The snow made for some interesting conditions while picking out a tree. We roamed for 45 minutes. We were cold and tired, but we had an awesome time! I mean, like Dzen Tree Farm says, they are “where family traditions are made”!
Once we finally found our tree, it was time to chop it down! A job well done by This Connecticut Dad.
Of course, because we found our tree at the further possible spot from our car, we had to walk back… with the tree in tow. Good thing there were three strong guys with us!
We came with a truck, so we just tossed that sucker in and called it a day. However, if you need to tie the tree to down to your trunk or roof, Dzen Tree Farm offers free string if you ask. They also can bale your tree for you.
After we found our tree and loaded our trunk, we headed over to check out some of the extras that can be found at Dzen Tree Farm. Their Rockin’ Reindeer Cafe & Gift Shop is a fun place to check out!
They have cookies and hot chocolate for sale. After being the freezing cold, this was a nice thing to enjoy! You can also grab coffee or tea, water, apple cider, and popcorn!
The shop has some great homemade gifts for sale. They also have Podunk Popcorn on sale, which is grown and distribute by Dzen Tree farm’s very own Daniel!
Outside the farm, you will find even more items for sale including kissing balls, wreaths and other outdoor decorations. I love kissing balls and had to take one home!
If you pick out anything from this section in front of the store, you’ll want to make sure you pay for it inside. I’ll explain further down how to pay for the tree!
Dzen Tree Farm is also home to TWO reindeer! Yes, real reindeer! They live are residents of the farm for the entire season!
On weekends, you can also find Santa at the North Pole Workshop on Dzen Tree Farm. He comes every Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We happened to just miss him – but that was okay because there was another alternative…
The giant Santa! He’s so tall that you can actually see him from the main road! We tried to take a happy family photo in front of the Santa… as you can tell, those don’t come easily.
Once we had our tree, a chance to visit the reindeer, some hot cocoa and cookies, and a chance to explore a little bit, we finally headed out after an hour.
You’ll head out the same way you entered. Again, you’ll need to stop at the red hut. First, you have to return that saw. Don’t forget! And second, you have to pay. Trees are paid for at the red hut. They can take either cash or credit card. As I mentioned above, for 2019, all trees are $55 including tax.
We had a great time as a family picking out our tree at Dzen Tree Farm! It’s easy to see why this is a community favorite when it comes to picking out your Christmas tree! Besides having a huge selection of trees, they offer an awesome experience with the extras like a visit with Santa, the reindeer and the cute gift shop.
And even though it took us forever and a day to find the perfect tree, it was worth it! Look at that beautiful tree! Thanks for being part of our family tradition this year, Dzen Tree Farm!
Merry Christmas everyone!
This about sums it up…
215 Barber Hill Road – South Windsor, Connecticut
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree Hours:
Seasonal, starting at the end of November through Christmas – Open daily, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Features:
- Cut Your Own Trees and pre-cut trees
- Over 60 acres of trees to choose from
- Saw, netting and rope provided
- Reindeer residing at farm
- Santa visits on weekends, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Great photo ops
- Hot chocolate and cookies, and other snacks on sale in the Rockin’ Reindeer Cafe
- Wreaths and other decorations available for sale; along with handmade gifts
- Cash and credit card accepted
- Strollers will be difficult to maneuver – bumpy terrain and lots of stumps
- Family friendly
- Good sized parking area
