In central Virginia, the time-honored tradition of choosing and cutting down your own Christmas tree is alive and well. Imagine walking among rows of conifers grown for this purpose, reaching out to touch the needles to test their spring and strength, their ability to carry the weight of treasured ornaments, and taking in the distinct smell that these evergreens lend to the season. Not only does picking out your own tree to cut give you a memorable experience, it ensures the freshness of your tree, too, as many pre-cut trees may have been cut weeks before being sold. And in the verdant countryside surrounding Charlottesville, there are plenty of Christmas tree farms from which to choose your tree.
Greene County
Greene Meadows Christmas Tree Farm | 487 Crow Mountain Road, Stanardsville, VA
Run by the Ensor family, this farm has over 7 acres of planted Christmas trees to choose from. The six species of conifers they offer are White Pine, Scotch Pine, White Spruce, Canaan Fir, Leyland Cypress, and Red Cedar, each priced according to species, rather than by size. At the Christmas Shop you will be welcomed with complimentary hot chocolate or cider and a candy cane while you peruse gift items, ornaments, wreaths, and the farm’s homemade preserves, jellies, and relishes. On the weekends, local youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts will be nearby selling hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, and baked goods to benefit their operations. And there is also a miniature petting zoo of sheep and lambs eagerly awaiting their human visitors.
Madison County
Stonehearth Christmas Tree Farm | 367 Kirtley Road, Leon, VA
Just off 29 North in Madison County, Stonehearth Christmas Tree Farm sells White Pines, Scotch Pines, Red Pines, Virginia Pines, and Canaan Firs, all priced at $35 each. Their wreaths are made from White and Scotch Pine in varying sizes. A complimentary hot chocolate, hot apple cider, or coffee awaits each visitor, and each child will receive a free candy cane and coloring book. The farm will be open on the weekends, and during the week purchases may be made at the gray house.
Culpeper County
‘Peper’mint Christmas Tree Farm | 12063 Eggbornsville Road, Culpeper, VA
With a festive name that also gives a nod to the nearby town of Culpeper, the Bartlett family farm has been selling Christmas trees since 1986. After such a healthy run, they have decided to permanently close up shop at the end of the 2016 holiday season. Their remaining available conifers are priced to sell with White Pines going for $25 each, and Norway Spruce and Canaan Fir going for $35 each. They will be open December 3-4 and December 10-11 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Their shop is supplied with complimentary mulled cider and candy canes, and there are wreaths and decorative swags for sale.
Orange County
Miller Farms Market | 12101 Orange Plank Road, Locust Grove, VA
In Orange County, Miller Farms Market is an operational farm that offers a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program 33 weeks out of the year, hosts pick-your-own events during berry season, and sells many local and regional products in their Marketplace year-round. During the holiday season, they add Christmas trees to their list of homegrown goods for sale. You can choose from White Pine, Canaan Fir, Norway Spruce, and Colorado Blue Spruce, with prices ranging from $24-80. They are open Monday-Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and closed on Sundays.
Louisa County
Claybrooke Farm | 912 Elk Creek Road, Mineral, VA 23117
This family farm has been planting Christmas trees since 1984 and has expanded in acreage and offerings. Available species now include Canaan Fir, Douglas Fir, Nordman Fir, Concolor Fir, White Spruce, and Blue Spruce and prices range from $29-79, dependent on size. Upon arrival, you can view samples of each kind to get a better sense of what you might like. Their gift shop, the Gathering Barn, is stocked with Virginia products, ornaments, and accessories. And in good weather you can even take a wagon ride. The farm will be open on weekends, December 3-18, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Buckingham County
Foxfire Christmas Tree Farm | 451 Foxfire Road, Scottsville, VA
Owned and operated by the Samuels family since 1968, this family farm sells fresh Douglas Fir, Norway Spruce, and White Pine trees as well as Scotch Pine wreaths and garlands. They are open Thursday-Monday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm through December 22, but they note that during the week there is limited help for loading.
Nelson County
Saunders Brothers Farm Market | 2717 Tye Brook Highway, Piney River, VA 22964
This family run farm has operated as an apple orchard since 1915! Throughout the year, Saunders Brothers grows fruits and vegetables, and every year following Thanksgiving they open their tree farm to the public. Conifer selections include Canaan Fir, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, White Pine, and Scotch Pine. This year the trees are up to 8 feet tall and prices range from $5-8 per foot, depending on which variety you choose. Their Farm Market is currently stocked with handmade wreaths, fresh evergreen swags, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and a variety of apples. The tree farm is open Fridays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm and Saturdays, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, now through December 17.
Augusta County
Boys Home Christmas Tree Farm | 1118 Bear Wallow Flat, West Augusta, VA
An hour from Charlottesville, in the Allegheny Highlands, Boys Home offers a residential educational and care facility for boys aged 6-18. For over 20 years, part of their program of instilling responsibility and discipline has included teaching their students the practices of tree farming, from planting seedlings to shearing, harvesting, and assisting customers with their tree selections. Among the conifer varieties they offer are White Pine and Norway Spruce and the money from sales goes right back into supporting Boys Home. They are open Fridays and weekends through December 23, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Long Meadow Tree Farm | 296 Miller Road, Waynesboro, VA
This family farm has been in operation since 1981. Their planted conifers include White Pine, Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, Norway Spruce, and Blue Spruce. They also sell handmade wreaths and table arrangements (made from fresh cut greenery and one or two candles), along with winter squashes, honey, homemade apple butter, and farm fresh eggs. They are open daily from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Commonly abbreviated “IY,” this health food haven has been locally owned since 1975. You won’t find many (if any) animal products here, but the store carries more than its fair share of meat alternatives (think black bean burgers and Twin Oaks Tofu) but the place really shines when it comes to its produce, fresh and local. IY’s sourcing philosophy is both old-school and new age: they will buy produce from anyone in the area, whether it be a Charlottesville-area farm like Sharondale Farm in Keswick or a guy with a bunch of berries in his backyard. They are partnered with over 30 area farms and boast over 30 local Charlottesville chains, but you don’t have to be over 30 to go in. There is an extremely slim chance that you’ll be able to walk into IY and buy something that isn’t a local product, whether a cup of coffee or a bag of granola. Now that’s commitment to neighborhood partnership! Integral Yoga’s crown jewel may be its juice/smoothie bar, at which you can buy a 16 oz juice with your choice of local frozen fruit. A 16 oz serving of juice packs a walloping five pounds of fruit! And they will cater to any and all dietary restrictions or preferences.
Foods of All Nations is nothing short of a Cville staple at this point. Its warm, friendly, and inviting staff have been bridging the gap between central Virginia farms and the people they serve for over 50 years, during which they’ve developed both an extensive supply of local, domestic, and international foods. A lot of the produce is locally-sourced, and most of their meats and seafoods are direct from farms in the central Virginia area. What’s more, the folks at Foods of All Nations put as much work into cooking the ingredients as the Charlottesville farmers do growing them. The hot bar and deli have some of the best low-key food in the city, so before you buy a couple pounds of oysters, try, for example the oyster po’boy with okra and homemade remoulade. While you’re at it, get me some gazpacho. It goes without saying, but Foods of All Nations is partnered with a bunch of local businesses…Caromont Farm, Keswick Gourmet Foods, Polyface Farms, and Wade’s Mill just to name a few.
Norman Dill has been working in health food stores since 1976. He opened up Rebecca’s in 1987, naming it after his daughter and basing its core aesthetic on food principles set down at his mother’s table (no junk food!) The result is a health food store dedicated to selling only the most salubrious offerings, whether we’re talking produce, kombucha, or supplements. Rebecca’s is committed to selling only safe products with few or no side effects, and their wares are always local when possible and rarely (if ever) processed. There is an appreciation for ancestral eating: the practice of modifying our dietary inclinations to match those of ancient peoples (think the “paleo diet.”) And like Integral Yoga, they offer a plethora of local brands: Barefoot Bucha, Free Union Grass Farm (a local Charlottesville-area farm, meat and eggs), Mad Hatter Hot Sauce, etc. Check them out at the Barracks Road Shopping Center.
One of the few locales that offers brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays (7 am to 3 pm), La Taza is tucked away in the quaint area of Charlottesville’s downtown Belmont. La Taza, which is Spanish for “the cup,” roasts fresh Arabica coffee beans twice a week and describes its cuisine as “Latin-inspired.” This is apparent in brunch offerings such as the Guatemalan Breakfast and Huevos Rancheros, but they also offer traditional American fare such as eggs, potatoes, and bacon (“El Gringo”), as well as pancakes, eggs benedict, and biscuits and gravy. Indoors the tables are crafted from tree trunks and outdoors there is a lovely courtyard with seating and umbrellas along a mostly quiet street.
Located on the corner of the pedestrian mall and 5th Street SE, beside Bend Yoga, the Commonwealth Sky Bar offers Sunday brunch from 10 am to 3 pm. Their menu presents an eclectic array of brunch options, including the ostensibly Southern dish of fried green tomatoes, barbeque shrimp and grits, some southwestern flair with their stuffed poblanos, and the famous dish popularized in early 20th-century Harlem: chicken and waffles. While the second story open-air Sky Bar is closed on Sundays, there is an outdoor patio on one side and large windows that slide open in fair weather.
Occupying a narrow entrance on the pedestrian mall, but with ample indoor vintage seating and outdoor seating with umbrellas, Bizou serves up an elegant Sunday brunch (11:00 am to 2:00 pm) that includes eggs Florentine, hanger steak, salmon, and pomegranate mimosas. This 20-year-old Charlottesville establishment was started by two chefs who continue to have a hand (or two) in preparing the food. Much of the meat and produce are sourced locally, changing with the seasons, and all of the pastries are made in house.
Among the unique offerings of the Sunday brunch menu (11:00 am to 2:00 pm) at this favorite local Italian restaurant are a waffle sandwich (you read that right: bacon, cheese, and egg sandwiched between two waffles), challah French toast, and poached eggs on grilled focaccia. Located on the bustling corner of Market Street and 2nd Street NW, in fine weather Fellini’s throws the windows open.
tastes, from finely curated galleries to eclectic collections and antique malls that offer a mash-up of numerous vendors. You can easily find antique furnishings and vintage items to incorporate history into your newly purchased home, even as you yourself become a part of the region’s history in choosing to reside here. Whether you’re looking for a locally crafted and restored farm table, or imported antique Venetian glass, or an 18th century French settee, you have ample antique retailers and knowledgeable experts in the business to choose from. Here is just a sampling of the many antique stores in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area.
Occupying a large corner of McIntire Plaza in Charlottesville, Circa offers 10,000 square feet of antiques and furniture. Whether you’re looking for an old farm table, an elegant sofa with carved wooden feet, a salvaged mantelpiece, or teal-tinted mason jars for bouquets of cut flowers, you can find countless objects with a history to complement your new home. Owned and operated by a mother and daughter team, all staff members are trained as buyers so there is an eclectic range of items to choose from, including vintage pieces, original artwork, and funky decor. They also do their very best to price affordably so there is no need to haggle. And, perhaps most exciting of all, they can deliver (for a fee)!
Also on the downtown mall, next door to The Fitzroy and across from Wells Fargo, Siddhattha Buddha statues sit in windows and colorful paper lanterns rest on outdoor tables, inviting you into Oyster House Antiques to explore a visual history of China. Here, eastern antiques inspire creative uses in modern western households. For instance, an old wardrobe with ornate doors can be repurposed as a media cabinet. In addition to the downtown location, you can find their warehouse, which is open on weekends, across from Bodo’s on Preston Avenue.
Located in Keswick, six miles east of Charlottesville, A & W Collectibles is a collection of over twenty different vendors with a unique inventory that is frequently in flux. Their current inventory includes clocks, dishware, collectible dolls, vintage hats, antique furniture, and much more.