When people sing the classic Christmas song "Walking in a Winter Wonderland," they're not singing about Texas. Sure, we get snow up in the panhandle pretty much every year, and Dallas/Fort Worth gets their fair share. There was even that one year they got a white Christmas in Houston and Corpus! But we don't need snow to create Christmas magic. We can make magic without the cold white stuff.
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Some of the best places in Texas where you can feel the Christmas spirit are at any number of Christmas Tree farms. The good thing about our climate is that it's pretty much perfect for growing things, conifers included, believe it or not. Add in some hot cocoa and hayrides and you've got a Christmas memory to cherish. Here are 10 Texas Christmas tree farms where you can cut your own Christmas trees.
1. Elgin Christmas Tree Farm - Elgin
Located just East of Austin off 290, the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm has it all. Your family can hop aboard a hayride out to the orchard filled with Virginia pines and Leyland Cypress trees. Then you and your family can find the perfect tree and cut it with saws provided by the farm. For more fun, you can visit the petting zoo and see the llama, goats and other animals. There's also the "Christmas cottage" where you can buy one of a kind ornaments for your new tree, or as gifts for loved ones.
2. Spring Creek Growers - Magnolia
Tractor-pulled hayrides, a breakfast with Santa and a wooden treehouse await guests to the Spring Creek Growers Christmas Tree Farm. They start in November and continue through mid-December, after which Santa has to get back to the North Pole to prepare for Christmas.
3. Elves Christmas Tree Farm - Denison
Just outside of the DFW area out Highway 75 sits the Elves Christmas Tree Farm. Here you'll find free apple cider and a barn full of fresh wreaths and other Christmas gift ideas. There are also mazes and a farm zoo. You'll even find picnic areas because, here in Texas, we still get picnic weather in November and December.
4. Seiler's Christmas Tree Farm - Seguin
The process at Seiler's Christmas Tree Farm in Seguin is pretty straightforward. In their words, you "Grab a saw and a wagon, pick out a tree, cut it down and bring it up." In addition to the standard Virginia Pine and Leyland Cypress trees they also have Loblolly Pines and Carolina Sapphires They also have pecans, both shelled and unshelled, because this is Texas.
5. Lee County Christmas Trees - Lincoln
Lee County Christmas Trees in Lincoln, Texas is a great place to spend a holiday afternoon. You can take a hayride, cut your own tree and even get it flocked if you wish.
6. Yesterland Farm
Out in Canton, Texas, one of the best places to get a Christmas tree is at Yesterland Farm. You can cut your own tree, but that's not all. You can take a ride on Santa's Runaway Sleigh roller coaster, and even meet the jolly old elf himself on weekends.
7. Dewberry Farm - Brookshire
Just Northwest of Houston you'll find the tiny town of Brookshire and the little gem Houstonians know as Dewberry Farm. You can take a train ride, or visit the country store and sweet shop. There are 40 acres of Christmas trees to choose from in this pastoral paradise outside Texas' largest city.
8. Kelumac Christmas Tree Farm and Bed & Breakfast - Bryan
The Kelumac Christmas Tree Farm and Bed & Breakfast may be a mouthful, but it's a fun place to visit this time of year. You can get a tree, gifts and a little getaway all in one spot!
9. Mill Hollow Christmas Tree Farm - Oakhurst
To get to the Mill Hollow Christmas Tree Farm you first have to drive through the beautiful piney woods of the Sam Houston State Forest toward Lake Livingston. It may be a little out of the way but the scenery makes it worthwhile. Once there you can take your pick of trees, and participate in activities like tire rolling and a tricycle course. They also serve hotdogs every day around lunchtime.
10. Mainstay Farm - Cleburne
The Mainstay Farm is just South of Fort Worth, but totally out of this world. The farm has Christmas trees, sure. But they also have a three-story treehouse, pedal carts, and even zip lines!
This article was originally published in 2017.
