Swanson’s Big Red Barn

Choose-and-cut and precut trees

The Christmas-tree selection includes Fraser fir, Canaan fir and White pine, with both choose-and-cut and precut shopping. Tree weekends run from Thanksgiving through December 14; weekday trees are available by contacting the farm. Fresh wreaths and kissing balls are also sold.

Use the operator’s visitor address, W7480 Valerio Road. Earlier industry and news records used W7484 for the same venue; the current operator’s address governs this stop. The grower’s wholesale nursery and a separately mentioned Michigan retail outlet are different destinations.

Saturday events and the Santa Experience

Christmas admission is free. Saturday event days include train rides, tractor-drawn tree-field wagon rides, Rudolph Ring Toss, a Game Zone, face painting and colouring. The children’s Super Truck Ride depends on winter weather. Train and Super Truck rides cost six tokens ($1.50); the wagon ride for choosing a tree is free. Black Friday and the listed Sundays have trees, Sweet Shop and Gift Shop, with no Santa on Black Friday.

The Santa Experience is a separate $20-per-family package. It includes talking to Santa, a printed and digital photograph, a colouring contest, live reindeer and face painting; additional prints are $5 each. Take a number at the barn entrance. These package terms should not be confused with free general Christmas admission.

Games and paid rides use tokens from machines in the Game Room and outside the Sweet Shop. Cash registers can exchange a credit-card payment for cash for the token machines. The Santa family package is a separate purchase; do not use the free-admission label as a price for every activity.

• Ride and token details ↗

Sweet Shop, kitchen and gifts

The Sweet Shop serves Edelweiss coffee, lattes, cocoa, hot cider, smoothies and soft drinks, with homemade cinnamon rolls, bread, pies, doughnuts, sugar cookies, fudge and seasonal sweets. The Gift Shop carries handmade gifts, decorations and fresh greenery.

On Christmas event days, the Big Red Barn kitchen serves 10:30am–2:30pm, with burgers, hot dogs, fries, cheese curds, homemade pizza and chicken strips. Shops and food have their own opening arrangements; contact the farm for an appointment outside the announced programme.

The posted Christmas calendar has Saturday events November 29 and December 6, 13 and 20, 9:30am–3pm; Sunday tree-and-shop visits November 30 and December 7 and 14, 10:30am–3pm. Black Friday is 10:30am–3pm. These Christmas arrangements are separate from autumn Pumpkinfest.