Manchester · Maryland
Showvaker’s Quality Evergreens
A family-owned Carroll County farm with cut-your-own firs and spruces, a 60-by-100-foot fresh-cut tent with trees to 18 feet, weekend Santa visits (dates not posted), a barnyard and a Christmas shop.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees · Living trees
- Cut-your-own tree
- $80–$165
Cut-your-own trees priced by variety and height; fresh-cut tent trees from $25. Plus Maryland sales tax.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Opens Sunday, November 22, noon–5pm for early birds. Weekends 9am–5pm; weekdays noon–5pm from November 30; closed Wednesdays.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
Showvaker’s sells trees two ways. In the field, you grab a saw and a wagon and cut a tree you choose yourself. The farm’s fresh-cut tent is a 60-by-100-foot covered area, billed as the largest assortment of fresh-cut trees in the area, with trees from the farm’s own fields up to 18 feet tall, protected from the weather, rain or shine. Fresh cuts arrive daily and sometimes several times a day, and the farm keeps restocking pre-cut trees right up until Christmas Eve.
The farm grows nearly 50 acres of trees. Its most popular size is 7 to 8 feet, and there are only so many of them each year. Once the majority have been cut, the farm closes the fields so that the 6 to 7 foot trees can grow into next year’s crop, and it monitors the fields and closes when it feels the maximum for the year has been cut. The fresh-cut tent is the alternative, and the farm suggests checking its calendar and farm updates before you come.
Trees in the field are meant for you to cut and move yourself. If you cannot cut or move a tree, choose one from the pre-cut area. The farm will help if it can, but at peak times it may not have staff free; if you need help with a very large tree, tag it and arrange to pick it up during the week. Pre-tagging in advance is otherwise no longer permitted, because pre-tagged trees were taken by other customers in past seasons.
Published varieties
- Blue spruce
- Canaan fir
- Concolor fir
- Douglas fir
- Fraser fir
- Norway spruce
- Scotch pine
- White pine
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.
- Concolor fir
- Longer, silver-blue needles with a citrus scent when crushed.
- Canaan fir
- Dark green needles with white undersides and firmer branches for decorations.
- Douglas fir
- Soft needles and more flexible branches, suited to lighter ornaments.
- White pine
- Long, soft needles and flexible branches; choose lighter decorations.
- Blue spruce
- Blue to silver-blue foliage with sharp needle tips.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
The price list is the farm’s last published one; the farm says this season’s prices are not expected to change, and the prices posted at the farm prevail. Prices are plus Maryland sales tax.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Cut-your-own trees, 6 to 9.5 feet | $80–$165 Depends on the variety and the height. |
| Field trees under 6 feet | Priced as a 6-foot tree, $80–$88 The farm suggests checking the fresh-cut tent for small trees for better value. |
| Cut-your-own trees, 10 to 11 feet | $21.50 per foot Plus Maryland sales tax. |
| Cut-your-own trees, 11.5 to 13.5 feet | $22.50 per foot Plus Maryland sales tax. |
| Cut-your-own trees, 14 to 16 feet | $27.20 per foot Plus Maryland sales tax. |
| Cut-your-own trees over 16 feet | From $500 Set at the time of cutting. |
| Fresh-cut tent trees, up to 18 feet | From $25 to over $800 Priced individually for size and quality; cathedral-height trees reach the top of the range. |
| Shaking, trimming, drilling and baling | Free Trees over 14 feet may not fit the baler or drill; the farm also helps load your vehicle. |
| Credit-card payments | 4% added A 4% fee is added by the card processor; the farm says it does not profit from it. |
From the field to the holding rack: how a cut-your-own visit works
Grab a saw and wagon and head out to the field to find your tree. Power saws of any size or type are not permitted: if anything runs the saw other than your elbow, leave it at home. Bring the tree back to the baling station and the farm’s team takes over. First your tree is drilled, then shaken, then run through the baler. The baler team tags it with a two-part tag and gives you the bottom half.
Take that half-tag to the gift shop to pay, pick up a complimentary hot drink and do some shopping. When you are ready to go, show your numbered tag to the attendants at the holding rack, and let them locate and double-check your tag number before they remove your tree. Stay with your tree while it is being processed.
Eight varieties, in the farm’s words
The farm rates needle retention for each variety. It does not say which varieties are available cut-your-own and which fresh-cut this season, so ask when you arrive. Its newer fields carry big Fraser, Douglas and concolor firs.
| Variety | What the farm says |
|---|---|
| Blue spruce, “An Excellent Christmas Tree” | Short stiff green to bright blue needles; very good to excellent needle retention. |
| Canaan fir, “Up & Coming Favorite” | Short flat green needles, similar to Fraser; very good needle retention. |
| Concolor fir, “Fragrance and Style” | Medium to long green to blue needles; excellent needle retention; smells of citrus. |
| Douglas fir, “A Christmas Tradition” | Short soft green to blue-green needles; excellent needle retention. |
| Fraser fir, “The Cadillac of Christmas Trees” | Short flat dark green needles with a silvery underside; excellent needle retention. |
| Norway spruce, “Value and Beauty” | Short stiff green to dark green needles; good needle retention, about two to three weeks. |
| Scotch pine, “A Holiday Favorite” | Medium to long green to dark green needles; very good needle retention. |
| White pine, “Great Look and Style” | Long soft green to blue-green needles; excellent needle retention. |
How trees are measured and priced
The farm measures a tree after you select it and does not count excessive trunk or an excessive top. There is no charge for a missing tree bottom, called stumping. If a tree has been topped, which removes the top, the farm cannot measure it accurately and must estimate, so do any topping after measuring.
Looking for a tree of 10 feet or more? The farm has cathedral-height trees as tall as 18 feet. Shaking, trimming, drilling and baling are free, the farm helps load your vehicle, and drilling works with the pin-type stands it recommends and sells; the stand price is not posted. Trees over 14 feet may not be baled or drilled.
Santa, the barnyard and Senior and Military Days
Santa Claus is at the farm on weekends. His hours are typically Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm, beginning Thanksgiving weekend; the farm does not post this season’s final Santa weekend or whether there is a charge. A Barnyard Petting Zoo is on the farm’s list of features, but its dates, hours and costs are not posted.
Senior and Military Days run on weekdays from Monday, November 30 through Friday, December 4. Let the cashier know to get a discount on your tree purchase; the farm does not post the discount amount.
The Christmas shop, the Wagon Wheel Café and the free-gift coupon
The Christmas shop is packed with holiday needs: wreaths, roping and greenery, gift and decorating items, and live trees for planting. Stop in for a complimentary hot cocoa or warm cider while you search for a gift. The farm does not post prices, sizes or live-tree varieties.
The Wagon Wheel Café serves a burger, a hot dog, pizza or the farm’s own chili, with concessions on weekends, and you are also welcome to bring your own picnic lunch to the picnic area, where tables are available. The farm’s printable coupon offers a free gift with a tree purchase; it is not to be combined with any other offer. Free printable activity sheets, including coloring pages, a Christmas crossword in two levels, a word find and a cryptogram, are on the farm’s Family Fun page.
Paying, parking and pets
The farm accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover, but its only card terminal is in the gift shop. It suggests bringing some cash for snacks or drinks outside, and there is an ATM. A 4% fee is added to card purchases by the processor. Parking is free and plentiful. Pets are permitted, but they must be leashed at all times, even small ones you carry, and owners must pick up after them and not leave plastic bags behind.
Professional photography by appointment
Professional photography is by appointment only, and the farm counts anyone photographing for another person or family, paid or not, as a professional. Sessions must be pre-scheduled through the farm’s request form, paid for beforehand, and covered by liability insurance naming the farm as additional insured. During hours when the farm is closed to the public the fee is $50 per hour. Sessions are not available on November 27, 28 and 29, December 5 and 6, or December 12 and 13, and the farm has no weekend sessions after November 22. Personal phone photos are encouraged. This is separate from a tree visit.
Caring for your tree and recycling it
A freshly cut tree can drink as much as two gallons of water a day, so water it once or twice a day at first. The farm makes a fresh flat cut of about half an inch before you leave; if more than six hours pass, do it again, removing as little as possible if the trunk has a drilled pin-stand hole. Drilling does not improve water uptake. Keep the tree away from heat, and never burn any part of it. After Christmas, recycle the tree through your local community.
In the fall the same family runs Cornfusion, a corn maze and pumpkin season on its own website, which is separate from the Christmas visit.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Opens Sunday, November 22; open again Friday, November 27; weekdays from November 30 except Wednesdays
The farm posts its opening hours updates but no closing date; it says it keeps restocking pre-cut trees until Christmas Eve and closes cut-your-own fields once enough of the most popular sizes are cut. The farm’s online calendar lists no events yet.
| Hours and special days | Hours |
|---|---|
| Early-bird opening, Sunday, November 22 | Noon–5pm |
| Monday–Thursday, November 23–26 | The farm lists no hours for these days |
| Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday and Sunday, November 28–29, and weekends after | 9am–5pm |
| Weekdays beginning Monday, November 30 | Noon–5pm; closed Wednesdays |
| Every selling day | Last entrance to the field is 30 minutes before closing, at 4:30pm |
| Senior and Military Days, Monday–Friday, November 30–December 4 | A discount on a tree purchase; tell the cashier |
| Santa Claus, Saturdays and Sundays | Typically 11am–3pm, beginning Thanksgiving weekend; the final weekend is not posted |
The farm says the posted calendar is its best estimate and subject to change, and that policies, prices and availability posted at the farm prevail. It reserves the right to close any field for cutting at any time and posts field closures as soon as it knows.
Before you go.
- Cut-your-own prices and posted prices are plus Maryland sales tax; prices at the farm prevail.
- No power saws of any kind; the farm provides saws and wagons.
- Pre-tagging is not permitted, except for very large trees tagged for weekday pickup.
- Closed Wednesdays from November 30; last entrance to the field is 30 minutes before closing.
- Restrooms, accessibility and group visits are not posted. The farm’s email is info@qualityevergreens.net.
2020 Garrett Road, Manchester, MD 21102
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