When I was growing up, Christmas didn’t begin with the opening of a tote or the tug of an artificial tree from its box. Christmas began with a car ride. Mittens warming on the heat vents. A thermos of hot chocolate tucked between two siblings. And the quiet excitement of knowing that
today — today — was the day we would find our Christmas tree.
Before pre-lit branches and “plug-and-play” trees found their way into living rooms, families bundled up, piled into the car, and set off on an adventure that felt almost sacred. It wasn’t simply about bringing home a tree. It was about choosing the one that would hold a season’s worth of memories — the one that would glow beneath tinsel, shelter ornaments made in school art rooms, and stand proudly in the window for every passerby to admire.
And here in the Keuka Lake region, that tradition still lives on as strong as ever.
Generation after generation still plans that special trip to a tree farm — a ritual woven as tightly into Christmas as stockings, sugar cookies, and candlelit services. It’s a chance to slow down, breathe in the cold Finger Lakes air, and remember what the season is really about: being together, making memories, and carrying on the quiet magic of childhood.
Two farms stand out in our little corner of the world, each offering its own style of wonder:
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Highland Tree Farm – Branchport, NY
📍 Address: 8725 Friend Rd, Branchport, NY 14418
🌐 Website:
https://www.highlandfamilytreefarm.com
If there were ever a place that looked like it had leapt straight from a Christmas storybook, it would be Highland Tree Farm.
Perched atop one of the highest points in Yates County, Highland greets you with a view that makes you stop, breathe, and think, Yes. This is Christmas. The hills roll gently, the sky stretches wide, and the converted horse barn — now a glowing Christmas market — feels like something from a Norman Rockwell painting.
Families wander slowly through rows of trees, often pausing to take a photo against the sweeping backdrop or to warm their hands inside the barn. There’s a quiet charm here that wraps around you like a wool scarf. Highland isn’t just a tree farm — it’s a place where families make memories they’ll talk about for a lifetime.
The Herd — Yes, the Cows! One of the most unexpected delights at Highland Tree Farm is their small herd of Scottish Highland cattle — those shaggy, soft-eyed beauties affectionately known as “hairy coos.” The herd at Highland Tree Farm feels like it wandered straight out of a Christmas storybook.
And for those of us who appreciate a bit of small-town sparkle with our traditions, Highland delivers it in every pine-scented breeze.
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Bean Station Tree Farm – Prattsburgh, NY
📍 Address: 2346 Bean Station Rd, Prattsburgh, NY 14873
🌐 Website:
https://www.beanstationtreefarm.com
Where Highland gives you the postcard, Bean Station gives you the warm-hearted gathering that happens inside the postcard.
From the moment you step out of the car, the scent of evergreens mingles with the smell of hot cocoa and donuts. Kids dart between rows in search of the “perfect” tree, parents debate height and fullness, and couples wander hand-in-hand as if time itself has slowed to a quiet crawl.
What makes Bean Station special is its heart.
This is a family-run farm, lovingly cultivated with more than 35,000 Fraser firs — and it shows. The gift shop, the wreaths, the friendly smiles, the laughter drifting across the fields… it all feels like the kind of holiday moment we wish we could bottle.
For so many families, Bean Station is less of a yearly stop and more of a beloved tradition. A place where memories are made, where stories are shared, and where the spirit of Christmas settles in around you like a warm blanket.
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Where Memories Take Root
Whether you find yourself wandering the hillside rows at Highland or sharing hot cocoa between the evergreens at Bean Station, the journey is the same: a celebration of tradition.
It’s the magic of standing under a canopy of pine.
It’s the hush of snow settling on branches.
It’s the way children’s eyes widen when they find “their” tree.
It’s the quiet joy of knowing that this simple act — choosing a tree together — will become part of the story you tell for years to come.
Here in the Keuka Lake region, our roots run deep.
And every December, as families venture out in boots and mittens, those roots grow just a little deeper — connecting past to present, memory to moment, story to season.
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A Thought From Keuka Roots
As I write this, I can’t help but smile at how traditions like these continue to anchor us — much like the deep roots of the evergreens we bring home each year. There’s something profoundly comforting in knowing that amidst the rush, the noise, and the ever-growing to-do lists, some things remain beautifully unchanged.
Tree farms like Highland and Bean Station remind us that the most meaningful parts of Christmas aren’t found in the perfectly wrapped gifts or the latest décor trends. They’re found in the breath of cold air as you step out of the car. In the shared laughter over leaning trees and measuring tape mishaps. In the warmth of a mug of cocoa between mittened hands. In the stories — old and new — that take shape between the rows of evergreens.
These moments root us.
They remind us who we are, where we come from, and what truly matters.
And here around Keuka, surrounded by hills and vineyards and small towns that glow with their own quiet magic, those moments feel just a little sweeter — a little more home.
May your holiday season be filled with trees that stand tall, traditions that grow deeper, and memories that stay evergreen.
🌲 With warmth,
Keuka Roots
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#KeukaRoots #StayRootedStayKeuka #ChristmasAroundTheLake #HolidayTraditions #FingerLakesChristmas
