Fairfield County is a wonderful place to experience wholesome holiday fun! Whatever your religious leanings might be, a holiday tree is both inviting and a lovely addition to the home. For those who love to make a family event out of cutting down a live tree, there are several in the area. Jones Tree Farm in Shelton offers 200 acres of all varieties of evergreens.
http://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/. One of my favorites is Maple Row in Easton,
http://www.mrfarm.com/. Our family spent many years coming here, visiting the snack bar, having hot cider, hot dog, and grabbing our handsaw. A tractor rides would take us to the fields, and off we go, trudging through the snow, arguing about which tree is just the right one (we all have opinions) and lobbing a few well-aimed snowballs at each other. On bitter days, the choice would come very quickly ("does that one look OK? Yes, great, let's cut it and go to the warming station") and in the balmier years, the workers would be out in nothing but a T-shirt, and we would spend all afternoon looking at trees. Prices at these farms vary, so check; but in previous years, a tree was about $60, just to give a ball-park. I think there is a fixed price regardless of size, so if your house is large enough, go for the big tree! Maple Row is a large farm that gets loads of crowds, so if you want something really down to earth (no pun intended), try the Audubon Society on Sasco Creek Road in Westport. One warming hut, not as much variety, but no crowds either. There are several other cut-your-own places in the area listed on this area blog:
http://ridgefield.patch.com/articles/fairfield-countys-cut-your-own-tree-parks-4
If you are not into cutting down your own tree, no problem. Most of our local nursery shops have pre-cut trees, or live ones to decorate and later plant on your property. Stew Leonards (
http://www.stewleonards.com/) also has a good selection of holiday trees. Many areas in the US have to ship their trees from long distances, only to sit in an empty parking lot, so this is real chance to enjoy a wholesome family moment - New England style!
