Reedley · California
Hillcrest Farm
A Reedley tree farm that calls itself the oldest in the San Joaquin Valley, with cut-your-own Monterey pines at one price for any size up to 12 feet, shipped-in Noble, Douglas and Fraser firs, weekend steam train rides and a separately ticketed Pajama Christmas night.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Cut-your-own Monterey pine
- $45–$310
Cut-your-own Monterey pines are $85 each no matter the size, up to 12 feet. Pre-cut Noble, Douglas and Fraser firs run $45–$310 by species and size. Tree services such as shaking, drilling and flocking have no posted prices.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Daily 10am–5pm from the weekend after Thanksgiving to about Sunday, December 20. The farm’s page gives the first day as both Saturday, November 28 and November 29. Weekend steam train rides and Santa photos; Pajama Christmas nights are separate.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
Hillcrest sells Monterey pines that you cut yourself. The farm says it has more very tall ones than is usual, up to 12 feet, at the same price as the shorter ones: $85 each no matter the size. Saws are available, or you may bring your own, and full tree services, including shaking, drilling and flocking, are offered without a posted price.
Noble, Douglas and Fraser firs are shipped in from snow country because they will not grow in the valley heat. They are pre-cut and run from $45 to $310 depending on species and size; the tallest are 10 or 11 feet, and the farm warns there are not many of those. No arrival dates or per-size prices are posted.
The farm is a Reedley tree farm that says it is the oldest in the San Joaquin Valley, founded by Ed and Bonnie Toews at this location. The current owners took over in the early 1990s and added a half-scale railroad, which now runs in the tree season.
Published varieties
- Monterey pine
- Noble fir
- Douglas fir
- Fraser fir
Which variety suits your decorations?
General tree guidance; the farm’s selection, sizes and services are described above.
- Fraser fir
- Upward branches and good needle retention; firmer branches can suit heavier ornaments.
- Douglas fir
- Soft needles and more flexible branches, suited to lighter ornaments.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
The farm does not state its payment methods for trees. It says some food vendors take cash only and that you can also get cash at the farm. No admission charge is stated for the tree season.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Cut-your-own Monterey pine, any size up to 12 feet | $85 Each, no matter the size; saws are provided or you may bring your own. |
| Pre-cut Noble, Douglas and Fraser fir | $45–$310 Depends on species and size; the tallest firs are 10 or 11 feet and not many are available. No price list by size is posted. |
| Shaking, drilling, flocking and other tree services | Not published The farm says full tree services are available; confirm the charge at the farm. |
| Steam train ride | $5–$10 Each, age 2 and up, depending on whether the ride is one way or a round trip; weekends only. |
| Photos with Santa | Not published Weekend day visits and Pajama Christmas nights; the farm describes an additional fee on Pajama Christmas nights. |
| Pajama Christmas night train | $40 per person Age 2 and up, under 2 free; a booked ticket shows $42.40 per person with the booking fee for an evening in early December. Separate from tree purchase. |
| Farm photo shoot booking | $21.20 per client Price shown includes fees; personal photos only; booked online for the date. |
Cut-your-own Monterey pines
Walk the field, choose a Monterey pine and cut it yourself with a farm saw or your own. Every cut-your-own tree is $85 whatever its height, up to 12 feet, so a tall tree costs the same as a short one. The farm offers full tree services, including shaking, drilling and flocking, but posts no charges for them.
The farm states no admission charge for the tree season and no last-entry time, and gives no rain rule for tree sales.
Pre-cut Noble, Douglas and Fraser firs
The pre-cut firs are shipped in and priced by species and size from $45 to $310. The farm posts no price by size or species, so ask at the lot before you decide. The tallest are 10 or 11 feet, and not many of those are available.
| Tree | Size | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey pine, cut your own | Up to 12 feet | $85 each | Same price at any size; saws provided or bring your own |
| Noble, Douglas and Fraser fir, pre-cut | Tallest 10 or 11 feet | $45–$310 | By species and size; no per-size list posted |
| Shaking, drilling, flocking and other services | Not stated | Not published | Confirm at the farm |
Steam train rides, Santa photos and food on weekends
On Saturdays and Sundays during the season the farm runs a 15-minute tour on its half-scale live-steam narrow-gauge railroad. Tickets are $5 to $10 each for age 2 and up, depending on whether the ride is one way or a round trip, and the farm notes one-way tickets are not always offered. Where tickets are sold and how they can be paid for are not stated.
Photos with Santa are offered on weekends from about 10am to 4pm and on Pajama Christmas nights; the fee is not posted. Hot food vendors are on site on Saturdays and Sundays, along with snacks and drinks. Some vendors take cash only, and you can get cash at the farm. No menus or prices are posted.
Pajama Christmas night train
Pajama Christmas is a separate evening event with its own tickets, and a ticket is not part of buying a tree. The farm lists nights from November 29 to December 3 and from December 5 to 23, 6:00pm to 8:30pm, but its booking calendar marks some nights as not offered, including nights inside that range, so choose a night from the booking calendar.
Tickets are $40 per person for age 2 and up, with children under 2 free. They are sold in advance online through the farm’s FareHarbor booking page, which adds a small fee; an early December evening shows $42.40 per person with the fee. Tickets are non-refundable unless the farm cancels, and may be given away or resold at no more than retail. The event goes ahead rain or shine and lasts about two and a half hours. The booking page lets you move your tickets to another open date and join a waitlist for a night that is full.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nights | November 29 to December 3 and December 5 to 23 per the farm; check the booking calendar for nights not offered |
| Hours | 6:00pm–8:30pm; the last train leaves about 10 minutes before the close |
| Ticket | $40 per person, age 2 and up; under 2 free; $42.40 per person with the booking fee for an evening in early December |
| Included | Unlimited steam train rides, unlimited hot cocoa with all the fixings, unlimited cookies, live music and carolers, fire bowls to warm up by |
| Extra | Hot food vendors, cash only; photos with Santa for an additional fee |
| Arrival | Check in at the Stone Bridge for wristbands, follow the lanterns and take the stairs to Hillcrest Station |
| Access | Described as wheelchair friendly; ask about special parking; accessible drop-off at the front gate |
Farm photo shoots
Separate from tree buying, the farm sells entry to its property for personal photos through an online booking. The price is $21.20 per client, groups or individuals, with fees included, and there is no set schedule: come any time on the booked date. You bring your own photographer. Payment in cash is possible at the house carport, and cancellations and reschedules are accepted with 24 hours’ notice. Commercial photography is not permitted; contact the farm about it.
Private parties
The farm hosts private parties for up to about 300 people. Rules include no alcohol, no bounce houses, no mylar confetti, no unattended children, no dogs and a clean-up by the host, with amplified music off by 10pm. Train rates apply when the farm is closed to the public; in the months it is open to the public (October, December and March) a party can instead reserve the Party Corral.
| Booking | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Party without train | $400 minimum | Up to 80 guests, plus $4 each over 80; picnic tables, BBQ (if available) and children's play areas included |
| Party with diesel train | $600 upper railroad (about 12 minutes) or $700 whole railroad (about 20 minutes) | When closed to the public; up to 60 guests, plus $4 each over 60 |
| Party with steam train | $750 or $850 | Two hours of unlimited rides; up to 60 guests, plus $4 each over 60 |
| Party Corral when open to the public | $50 to reserve | Weekends, 10am–1pm or 2pm–5pm; six picnic tables and a food table under the gazebo; two tables per customer |
| Unlimited train for a party when open to the public | $20 per guest | Added to the Party Corral |
Weddings
Weddings are a separate hospitality booking for up to 250 guests. The base fixed price is $3,000 ($3,300 if the alcohol option is chosen) and covers set-up the day before if available, the day of the event and pick-up the day after, plus the restrooms, 30 picnic tables and the lower parking lot; guests over 250 are $3 each. A $200 deposit is refundable until four weeks beforehand. You haul in, set up and clean up everything and provide your own security and any extra bathrooms. To serve alcohol you must carry your own event insurance, which the farm says may run about $200, and hire security, about $300 for a one-day event.
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base fixed price | $3,000 | $3,300 with the alcohol option; up to 250 guests, $3 each over 250 |
| Deposit | $200 | Refundable until 4 weeks before the event |
| Train | $600 diesel, $750 steam | $700 and $850 if the entire railroad is used; pick a 2-hour slot |
| Lighting | $600 | Whole farm lighting, if the event runs past daylight; power is available in some areas, so bring extension cords |
| Accessories | $40-$200 | Farm wagon $80, lighted LOVE sign $40, fruit-bin ice chests $50, antique flat-bed truck $200 |
Pets, grounds and getting there
Pets are not allowed because of the farm’s insurance; only medically trained service dogs may come onto the property. The farm’s party page describes picnic areas, children’s play areas, trails and a tree house on the grounds, and for Pajama Christmas nights you enter at the front gate and park, with accessible parking directed by staff. The fall pumpkin patch and spring events are separate seasons and are not part of a Christmas visit.
The farm sits at Reed and Adams in Reedley. The farm’s pages do not post restroom locations, accessibility for day visits beyond the Pajama Christmas details above, or a group policy for tree visits.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Weekend after Thanksgiving to about Sunday, December 20; first day listed as both November 28 and November 29
The farm’s Christmas page heading gives Saturday, November 28 to about Sunday, December 20, daily from 10 to 5, while a lower block on the same page gives November 29 to December 20. Its other pages say the season opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is November 28. The farm itself says about for the last day, and posts no last-entry time. Pajama Christmas runs in the evening on its own tickets and dates.
| Christmas season | Hours |
|---|---|
| Cut-your-own and pre-cut trees, from the weekend after Thanksgiving (November 28 or 29) to about Sunday, December 20 | Daily 10am–5pm |
| Steam train rides and hot food vendors, Saturdays and Sundays | During the day; the farm posts no ride hours |
| Photos with Santa, Saturdays and Sundays | About 10am–4pm |
| Pajama Christmas night train, November 29 to December 3 and December 5 to 23 per the farm; the booking calendar shows some nights as not offered | 6:00pm–8:30pm; separate ticket, rain or shine |
The farm states no rain rule for tree sales. Pets are not allowed except medically trained service dogs.
Before you go.
- Cut-your-own is $85 at any size up to 12 feet; pre-cut firs are $45–$310 by species and size.
- The first day is listed as both November 28 and November 29; the last day is about December 20.
- Pajama Christmas is a separate ticketed night event; check the booking calendar for nights not offered.
- Santa photo and tree service fees are not posted.
- Pets are not allowed; trained service dogs only.
- The farm’s email is hillcrestshops@aol.com.
6943 S Reed Ave, Reedley, CA 93654
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