West Newbury's Tree Season Comes Down to Two Days on Crane Neck's Upper Hill

Crane Neck Tree Farm has posted that 2026 is the last harvest on the upper hill at Middle Street and Crane Neck Street, ending 50 years of cutting there. The farm lists one full day of hours for that hill, Friday, Nov. 27. Saturday depends on how many trees are left. A few miles away, Evergreen Farm says its 2026 supply is very limited, and its own website lists other farms for people who leave without a tree. Two of West Newbury's choose-and-cut farms are scaling back this year, so the Thanksgiving tree run now starts on Crane Neck Street and ends somewhere in Groveland, Merrimac or Haverhill.

Fifty years on the upper hill, cleared in one weekend

Crane Neck's message for this season is short. "Everything on the upper hill must go: large trees, small trees, fat trees, ALL trees!" The farm credits three generations of the Brackbill family and thanks customers for making it part of their holiday tradition.

Here is the posted schedule and pricing for 2026, from the Crane Neck Tree Farm site, last updated Nov. 6:

• Friday, Nov. 27: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 28: hours and pricing depend on inventory, and the farm says the site will be updated by 7 p.m. Friday night
• Cut-your-own Douglas fir: $90 at any height, with limited supply up to 7 feet, and the farm expects them to sell out
• Cut-your-own Canaan fir: $90 at any height, 5 to 7 feet
• Blue spruce: $55 at any height, 5 to 6 feet, limited supply, by weekday appointment only
• Pre-cut Douglas and Canaan fir: 3 to 6 feet, $20 to $80, with a reasonable selection Friday while supplies last

The farm is selling off a whole section, Douglas fir is expected to run out, and the farm will only say whether it opens Saturday after Friday closes. For most buyers, the upper hill's final season runs about six and a half hours. Anyone who needs a tree taller than 10 feet is asked to call ahead, because supply at that size is limited.

Crane Neck will keep going after this year. The farm says it will continue on a smaller scale at the lower barn area on Crane Neck Street and at Wood Street Trees in Groveland. The two farms share a phone number. Wood Street lists 978-270-9365 for questions, and Crane Neck gives the same number for blue spruce appointments.

Evergreen Farm is short on trees and says so

Evergreen Farm has sold Christmas trees since the 1970s. It grows Fraser fir and Concolor fir with organic practices, using no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. For 2026 the farm reports a very limited supply, and pre-tagging was open only to its current CSA members. Choose-and-cut opens Saturday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A public holiday market with more than 20 vendors runs at the same time.

Evergreen's site says not everyone will find a tree there and recommends Crane Neck Tree Farm, Wood Street Tree Farm, MerriHill Tree Farm, Maple Crest Farm and Turkey Hill Tree Farm. The trees that remain are certified organic, range from 6 to 15 feet, and cost $105 with tax included unless marked with a discount tag, and the farm has saws and sleds on site. West Newbury's two best-known cut-your-own growers are cutting back in the same season. Crane Neck is shutting down its biggest field, and Evergreen's trees were partly spoken for before the public opening.

Evergreen has more than trees this season. Its adult wreath workshops run 5 to 7 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 21, in the farm's barn. Each person makes a 12-inch wire-frame wreath from evergreens, berries, pinecones and dried flowers, and the farm supplies tools, light snacks and warm tea. Guests may bring their own drinks. The barn is unheated, so the farm asks people to wear warm clothes that can get dirty and sturdy boots. Tickets are non-refundable but can be passed to a friend. A session needs at least 10 registrants to run. A children's workshop is planned for December. The self-serve farm store is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It carries the farm's own eggs, meat, flowers and herbs, plus items from Greenhouse Goods and Lemon & Salt Baking.

From wreath week to the Makers Market, in order

Read by date, the posted schedules line up like this:

1. Through Saturday, Nov. 21: Evergreen Farm's last adult wreath workshops, 5 to 7 p.m. each evening.
2. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22: Wood Street Christmas Trees in Groveland opens, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is the earliest posted opening of any farm on Evergreen's list, a full week before Thanksgiving weekend.
3. Friday, Nov. 27: Crane Neck's upper hill, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. MerriHill and Turkey Hill also open, and Wood Street reopens.
4. Friday evening, Nov. 27: Crane Neck posts its Saturday hours and pricing by 7 p.m.
5. Saturday, Nov. 28: Evergreen Farm opens for choose-and-cut and its holiday market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crane Neck opens only if inventory allows.
6. Sunday, Nov. 29: Wood Street is open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with more hours to be announced as the season goes on.
7. Saturday, Dec. 5: The Pentucket Arts Foundation's 7th annual Makers Market at Veasey Memorial Park. It has 38 or more vendors, wreaths and greenery from the Groveland Garden Club, free scavenger hunts for adults and children, live music by local students and a café, as announced in a Town of West Newbury notice.

Friday, Nov. 27 is the busiest day on the list. Four farms open within a short drive of each other on the morning Crane Neck's upper hill has its only confirmed hours. Wood Street's opening weekend before Thanksgiving is the one chance to cut a tree before that Friday.

Where the overflow goes

Each farm on Evergreen's list runs on different terms, and the posted 2026 details are far apart on price and payment.

At Wood Street, most trees are 6 to 7 feet. Lower-priced trees are grouped in specific spots or carry price tags, and full-price trees are left unmarked. Wood Street's inventory page lists Douglas fir and Balsam fir at $95 with tax included. Turkey Hill opens Friday through Sunday starting Nov. 27, then weekends until it sells out. Most trees cost $122, though some are marked down to as low as $10. MerriHill lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. but says weather can change opening days, so it points customers to its Facebook page. Maple Crest Farm at 102 Moulton Street in West Newbury is also on Evergreen's list.

A cut-your-own tree on Crane Neck's upper hill costs $90. At Evergreen the price is $105 with tax included, and a typical Turkey Hill tree costs $122 before tax. A pre-cut fir at Crane Neck starts at $20.

What to bring to the field

The farms' rules have more in common than their prices do, and most of them show up before you reach the trees.

• Cash or a checkbook. Crane Neck takes no credit or debit cards, and Wood Street takes no cards or electronic payments and asks for exact change if possible.
• A roof rack, or room inside the car. Crane Neck strongly recommends a car with a roof rack, says tying down the tree is the driver's responsibility, and supplies twine, though it says bungees or heavier rope help.
• A tape measure. Crane Neck points out that trees look smaller in the field and suggests measuring your space at home first. The farm has measuring sticks on site.
• A hand saw, if you have one. Wood Street allows your own hand saw or a cordless reciprocating saw, does not allow chainsaws, and lends a saw if you need one.
• A check of the website the night before. Crane Neck, Wood Street and MerriHill all say hours can change with inventory or weather, and Crane Neck notes that its own site is the only official source for its dates and prices.

The firmest deadline of the season is 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, when Crane Neck's posted hours on the upper hill end.

A 50-year harvest ending on Crane Neck Street is one of the small changes that shape a town from season to season. If you'd like to know where your own West Newbury home stands heading into winter, Kevin Fruh and his team will prepare a clear, local read on what your home is worth today. Request Your Complimentary Home Valuation.