Big Sandy · Texas
Solstice Tree Farm
A family farm on US Highway 80 between Big Sandy and Gladewater where you take a hayride out to the field, pick a hand-pruned Virginia pine at $10 to $14 per foot and cut it with a free saw, then have the crew shake, blow off and bale it for no charge, with precut Fraser firs from a family farm in North Carolina, handmade wreaths, tree stands, holiday drinks and cookies by the fire, and free admission.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Cut-your-own Virginia pine and precut Fraser fir, priced per foot
- $10–$14 per foot, Virginia pine
Cut-your-own Virginia pines are $10 to $14 per foot, based on height, for a 7 to 9 foot tree, and the price per foot increases with height up to 14 feet. Precut Fraser firs sell for $14 to $20 per foot for similar heights. Admission, the saw, shaking, blow-off and baling are free. Ask the farm for wreath, stand, drink and cookie prices.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Wednesday, November 25; Friday, November 27; Saturday, November 28; Friday, December 4; Saturday, December 5. 9am–5pm each day, or until sold out. Closed Thanksgiving.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
The farm raises its own Virginia pines, which take five to six seasons to grow, and hand prunes and shears them two to three times a year. Pines have strong branches to support ornaments and fit the region's soil and climate. The fields grow trees up to 14 feet, with 6 to 9 footers the heart of the field, and a 7-foot tree is the most common size for homes with a standard ceiling.
If you want a fir, choose one of the precut Fraser firs, known for soft needles and a blue-green color. Fraser firs need to be grown at altitude, so the farm brings them in from a family farm in the Blue Mountains of North Carolina.
Published varieties
- Virginia pine
- Fraser fir (pre-cut)
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.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
Virginia pines are $10 to $14 per foot for a 7 to 9 foot tree and the price per foot increases with height; precut Fraser firs are $14 to $20 per foot for similar heights. Ask the farm for wreath, stand, drink and cookie prices.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Cut-your-own Virginia pine | $10–$14 per foot Based on height, for a 7 to 9 foot tree; trees go up to 14 feet and the price per foot increases with the height. |
| Precut Fraser fir | $14–$20 per foot For similar heights; trucked in from a family farm in North Carolina. |
| Saw, shake, blow-off and netting | Free A free bowsaw, and the crew shakes, blows off and bales each tree in netting for no charge. |
| Admission | Free No admission fee. |
| Wreaths, tree stands, holiday drinks, cookies and snacks | Ask the farm Ask the farm for these prices and for what is free. |
Hayride to the field and cut your own Virginia pine
When you arrive, the family greets you, hands you a saw and directions, and sends you on a hayride out to the Christmas tree field. The hayride circles the field and picks you and your tree up when you are ready. Pick out the perfect tree and fell it yourself.
The farm lends you a sharp, safe bowsaw at no cost. The farm's insurance only allows guests to use hand saws.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Arrive | The family greets you and gives you a saw and directions. |
| 2. Ride out | Take a hayride out to the Christmas tree field; the hayride circles the field and picks you and your tree up when you are ready. |
| 3. Cut | Pick your Virginia pine and cut it with the free bowsaw. |
| 4. Back at the barn | The crew shakes and blows off your tree and bales it in netting, for no charge. |
| 5. Tie it down | Twine is provided; rope or ratchet straps from home work too. |
Tree prices
Cut-your-own Virginia pines are $10 to $14 per foot, based on height, for a 7 to 9 foot tree. The farm has trees up to 14 feet tall, and the price per foot increases with the height. Precut Fraser firs sell for $14 to $20 per foot for similar heights.
Sturdy tree stands made in the USA are available if you need one, and you do not need any additives to keep the tree fresh, just water. Ask the farm for stand prices.
| Selection & size | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cut-your-own Virginia pine | $10–$14 per foot | Based on height, for a 7 to 9 foot tree; price per foot increases with height, up to 14 feet |
| Precut Fraser fir | $14–$20 per foot | For similar heights; from a family farm in North Carolina |
| Saw, shake, blow-off and baling in netting | Free | No charge |
| Tree stand | Ask the farm | Made in the USA |
Sale days and hours
Tree sales run on five days this season: Wednesday, November 25, Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28, Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5. The farm is open 9am to 5pm each day, or until the trees are sold out, and it is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Ask the farm about any day after December 5.
Trees can sell out before closing time, so ask the farm whether trees remain on the day you plan to come.
| Date | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 25 | 9am–5pm | Or until sold out |
| Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) | Closed | No sales |
| Friday, November 27 | 9am–5pm | Or until sold out |
| Saturday, November 28 | 9am–5pm | Or until sold out |
| Friday, December 4 | 9am–5pm | Or until sold out |
| Saturday, December 5 | 9am–5pm | Or until sold out |
| After December 5 | Ask the farm | Ask whether trees remain |
Barn, fire, drinks and wreaths
Back at the barn there is space for kids to run around, yard games and outdoor seating. Enjoy the farm's handmade signature holiday drinks, cookies and snacks while sitting around the fire. Ask the farm for drink, cookie and snack prices and for what is free.
Fresh, hand-made wreaths are available for purchase, made right on the farm with fresh pine, cedar and fir boughs. Ask the farm for wreath prices.
| Extra | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Free | No admission fee |
| Kids' play space, yard games and seating | Ask the farm | At the barn |
| Handmade holiday drinks, cookies and snacks | Ask the farm | Enjoy them around the fire |
| Hand-made wreaths | Ask the farm | Pine, cedar and fir boughs, made on the farm |
| Tree stands | Ask the farm | Made in the USA |
Taking your tree home
If you buy a tree more than 24 hours before you set it up, store it outdoors in the shade. Before it goes in the stand, make a fresh cut of one-half to one inch, and give it up to two gallons of water a day for the first 24 to 48 hours. Use plain tap water only, with no bleach, aspirin or additives.
Tapering, angle cuts and drilling the trunk do not help. Bugs are rare because the trees are shaken and blown out before they go home.
| Topic | What to do |
|---|---|
| Storage before setup | Outdoors in the shade if more than 24 hours ahead |
| Fresh cut | One-half to one inch before the tree goes in the stand |
| Water | Up to two gallons a day for the first 24 to 48 hours |
| Additives | None: plain tap water only, no bleach or aspirin |
| Tapering, angle cuts, drilling | They do not help |
Photographer sessions
The farm welcomes local photographers to host sessions among the Christmas trees each fall. Reservations are required, and the farm does not book dates during its tree sale days. The fee is $60 per hour, with a one-hour minimum and extra time in 30-minute increments. Pets and service animals are welcome on a leash, and props are welcome as long as they do not damage the trees or the ground.
Photographers apply through a form and sign a photographer release form and a participant release form. This is a separate service for photographers, not part of a tree visit.
Getting there, pets and practical details
The farm is at 4210 US Highway 80, right on the highway between Big Sandy and Gladewater, with easy access from Longview, Tyler, Hallsville, Lindale, Kilgore and Henderson. The driveway is right off Highway 80. All pets and service animals are welcome as long as they stay on a leash, and please pick up after them.
Admission is free. Ask the farm about payment methods, restrooms, accessibility, parking and plans for bad weather.
| Topic | At the farm |
|---|---|
| Address | 4210 US Highway 80, Big Sandy, TX 75755 |
| Admission | Free |
| Pets and service animals | Welcome on a leash |
| Saws | Free bowsaw; the farm's insurance only allows hand saws |
| Payment, restrooms, accessibility, parking, weather | Ask the farm |
The farm, the family and contacts
Bryan and Hannah Winchell own and operate Solstice Tree Farm, where they live with their three girls, and family members help run the farm throughout the year. The trees grow around the family's farmhouse.
Call the farm at (903) 309-0635 with general questions, or email team@solsticetreefarm.com.
A closer look.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Wednesday, November 25 – Saturday, December 5 (five sale days), until sold out
Tree sales run on five days: Wednesday, November 25, Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28, Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, from 9am to 5pm each day or until the trees are sold out. The farm is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. Ask the farm about any day after December 5.
| Christmas tree sale days | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 25 | 9am–5pm, or until sold out |
| Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) | Closed |
| Friday, November 27 | 9am–5pm, or until sold out |
| Saturday, November 28 | 9am–5pm, or until sold out |
| Friday, December 4 | 9am–5pm, or until sold out |
| Saturday, December 5 | 9am–5pm, or until sold out |
| After December 5 | Ask the farm |
Sale days are the five listed days; trees can sell out before closing time.
Before you go.
- Open Wednesday, November 25, Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28, Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 9am–5pm or until sold out; closed Thanksgiving.
- Take a hayride to the field and cut your own Virginia pine with a free bowsaw; $10 to $14 per foot for a 7 to 9 foot tree. Shaking, blow-off and baling are free.
- Precut Fraser firs from North Carolina are $14 to $20 per foot for similar heights.
- Free admission; leashed pets and service animals welcome.
- Call (903) 309-0635 or email team@solsticetreefarm.com.
4210 US Highway 80, Big Sandy, TX 75755
Keep exploring
Other farms to compare.
Crowley, Texas
Haynie's Green Acres Christmas Tree FarmTexas-grown Blue Ice and Carolina Sapphire trees in the field with free saws and weekend hayrides, plus precut Fraser fir starting at $49.99 for a tabletop tree. Opens Friday, November 27: Monday–Friday 2pm–5pm, Saturday 9am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–5pm, until sold out; admission is free.
Greenville, Texas
Kadee Christmas Tree FarmSelect and cut your own Virginia pine in the field with a saw the farm provides; a field tree is $60 minimum, and imported precut firs run from tabletop to 14 or 16 feet. Open Saturday, November 21 through Saturday, December 19: weekdays 2pm–8pm, weekends 10am–8pm; the field closes at 5pm.
Brownsboro, Texas
Native Branch Christmas Tree FarmWalk the rows and cut your own Virginia pine; trees from 5 to 8.5 feet run $55 to $102 and go up from there for taller trees. Open Black Friday through the third Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 27 to December 13), Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; admission is free.