Portland · Connecticut
Star Hill Family Farm
Precut balsam fir, handmade wreaths, wagon rides by advance booking and paid Santa photos in arrival order.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Pre-cut trees
- Tree season
- November 21–December 20; attractions on selected dates
Store weekdays noon–4pm; weekends/Black Friday 10am–5pm
Full schedule ↓ - Visit arrangements
- Advance online booking for wagon rides; Santa photos use an arrival queue
819 Glastonbury Turnpike, Portland, Connecticut
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
Star Hill’s current tree program centers on precut balsam fir from four to ten feet, with larger trees available only after asking staff. Handmade wreaths come in varied sizes and styles, and the shop carries tree accessories and heavy-duty stands for larger trees. Confirm the tree price and handling arrangements before purchase. The general farm-shop page describes a broader two-to-seventeen-foot range; ask staff about actual larger or smaller stock before travelling for a particular size.
Tree shopping and the seasonal experiences have different schedules and charges. The store runs November 21–December 20, weekdays noon–4pm and weekends 10am–5pm; Black Friday is also 10am–5pm. Major credit cards are indicated. Book a ride or plan a Santa session separately rather than treating them as included with a tree.
Published varieties
- Balsam fir
Which variety suits your decorations?
General tree guidance; the farm’s selection, sizes and services are described above.
- Balsam fir
- A notably fragrant choice with soft needles.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Horse-drawn wagon rides
The guided hillside ride includes a fireside stop and uses scheduled quarter-hour departures on the listed dates, with gaps in the actual calendar. Book online in advance because seating is limited. The checked ticket pages total one paid seat at $17.55: $15 fare, $1.50 booking fee and $1.05 Connecticut sales tax. An optional $3 Connecticut Children’s Hospital donation is preselected in the display; choose whether to include it when checking the total. Children age two and under are free and need no ticket, but must be secured with a parent or guardian, on a lap or with a held carrier. Strollers cannot go on the wagon. Children thirteen and under need an adult from their group.
Bring a printed or mobile ticket and reach the wagon waiting area at least five minutes early. Wagon one has ten seats and wagon two twelve; buying every remaining seat does not promise an unsafe extra passenger capacity. Large groups may need multiple slots.
Self-service changes are allowed until forty-eight hours before the booking. The FAQ permits cancellation with more than one week’s notice, while the general return policy calls ride tickets final and nonrefundable. Confirm the applicable refund terms before cancelling voluntarily. Missed reservations are not refunded and rides do not wait for late arrivals. Staff may try to place late visitors on spare seats without a guarantee. If the farm cancels for weather, horse safety or other circumstances, the original payment is fully refunded; bank processing may take up to three business days.
| Dates or eligibility | Time or price and conditions |
|---|---|
| November 21–22 and 27–29; December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20 | Advertised 10am–4:30pm window; select an actual departure slot, with calendar gaps |
| Ticketed rider | $17.55 checked total ($15 + $1.50 fee + $1.05 tax); optional $3 donation; advance online booking |
| Children age 2 and under | Free, no ticket; secured with a parent or guardian |
| Children age 13 and under | Must be accompanied by an adult from their group |
Santa photographs and story readings
Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled November 27–29 and December 5 and 12, 11am–4pm. Photographs are taken in arrival order rather than by a reserved appointment. AK Photography posts $40 for a group; call ahead about a very large group. Credit and debit cards are accepted for photos.
Register with an email address for a gallery link, expected within two weeks from AK Photography. Digital files can be downloaded from that gallery for at least three months; contact the photographer about a missing link, since farm staff cannot access the images. Children may bring letters or use the writing station. Santa family photographs are not offered on December 19; that day has a separate story-reading and food-drive programme.
December 19 stories and food drive
The annual canned-food drive runs December 19, 10am–5pm, with Santa story readings at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and 3:30pm in the woodstove-heated barn. Bring one or more canned goods per person. The donations support St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Wethersfield, serving members and nonmembers in surrounding communities; cash donations also go to the pantry.
This is a story day rather than a Santa family-photo session. Other farm activities continue with their ordinary charges: donating food does not include wagon tickets, food purchases or paid photo services. The indoor programme runs rain or shine, but severe snow may force a safety closure; check the farm’s update that day. This event cannot be rescheduled.
| Activity | Time and conditions |
|---|---|
| Food drive | 10am–5pm; one or more canned goods per person; cash donations also accepted |
| Santa story readings | 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and 3:30pm; heated barn |
| Santa family photos | Not offered December 19 |
| Other activities | Separate ordinary charges; severe-weather closure possible |
Food and farm animals
A’Gucci’s donut truck and grille opens weekends and Black Friday during November 21–December 20, 10am–5pm. The paid menu includes apple-cider donuts, coffee, hot cider and cocoa, breakfast sandwiches, burgers, chicken fingers and fries. The food operator’s own page instead posts 10am–4:30pm; confirm the truck’s hours if arriving late. Food is a separate purchase.
Miniature cows, goats, horses, chickens and donkeys are among the farm animals. Feed is sold, and staff introductions depend on availability. Supervise children, follow staff instructions and stay in designated interaction areas; animals can bite or kick. The announced goat-cuddling program is still being developed, so do not count on a bookable session yet.
Separate barn hire outside the Christmas season
The cedar barn is offered for private events from January through mid-November. Its twelve-hundred-square-foot indoor space has a woodstove and restrooms, with outdoor options and parking for twenty vehicles. Ask for a quote and discuss any wagon or animal-tour add-ons; the farm recommends about two months’ planning.
Tree and shop return conditions
The published retail policy excludes perishable trees, wreaths and food from refunds; any exchange within seven days is at the owner’s discretion. Its thirty-day return provision applies to unused manufactured goods in original packaging with a receipt. Ask about a particular item before purchase.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: November 21–December 20; attractions on selected dates
| Store and experience hours | Hours |
|---|---|
| Tree shop, Monday–Friday, November 21–December 20 | Noon–4pm |
| Tree shop, weekends and Black Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Wagon dates: November 21–22, 27–29; December 5–6, 12–13, 19–20 | 10am–4:30pm; advance booking |
| Santa photos: November 27–29; December 5 and 12 | 11am–4pm; arrival queue |
| December 19 food drive and story readings | Drive 10am–5pm; stories 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm; no Santa family photos |
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