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Photo courtesy Family Christmas Tree FarmEast County News Service
Photo by Scott Lagace
October 13, 2025 (El Cajon) -- Don't let the name fool you -- Family Christmas Tree Farm is geared up for Halloween, too.
As autumn settles in over San Diego County, El Cajon's Family Christmas Tree Farm has rolled out its pumpkins and fall flavors even as it prepares for the winter holidays. It's been rated the 4th best Christmas tree farm in the nation by Yelp.
The 10-acre Christmas Tree Farm at 300 Pepper Drive has been serving the community since 1972, when it started its dedication to cultivating the Christmas spirit in East County.
For 50 years, the Stokes family has nurtured the land, the trees and the local tradition that draws families year after year.
It is one of San Diego’s go-to sources for real Christmas trees, wreaths, greenery and holiday decorations, and while small in acreage, its impact on local traditions runs deep.
Open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, the farm sells a variety of fresh-cut trees, snow-flocked options, decorated wreaths, and container-grown trees. It also carries accessories like tree stands and decorative goods. Photography sessions are also available for purchase at the site, turning the farm into a backdrop for holiday portraits. But Family Christmas Tree Farm doesn’t operate only as a Christmas tree supplier — starting in late September through Halloween on Oct. 31, it is dedicated to fall festivities.
Its Pumpkin Patch invites visitors to navigate rows of vibrant gourds to find the perfect jack-o’-lantern canvas. Its most popular draw, however, is its Giant Hay Maze, an annual, elaborate challenge that draws competitive spirits from kids of all ages, and kids at heart.
The site also offers tractor rides, cornhole, farm animals to get close to and fall-themed goods like fresh Julian apple cider slushies and pies, scented candles, cinnamon brooms and more.It is the farm's focus on interactive, hands-on fun that makes it a draw, with its $6 admission granting access to an afternoon of outdoor activity.
What sets Family Christmas Tree Farm apart is more than the pumpkins and trees its sells -- it is also the experiences offered.
Visitors have shared on social media that walking through the rows of evergreens, breathing in the scent of pine, and selecting the perfect tree contributes as much to holiday joy as the tree itself.
Behind the scenes, the farm’s caretakers work year-round: soil preparation, pruning, planting, and maintenance ensure that come November and December, the trees are healthy, shaped and ready for Christmas.
The site offers the two main species local to its fields -- Monterey Pine and Leyland Cypress -- but also receives fresh-cut trees from the Pacific Northwest. Those include Noble Fir, Fraser Fir, Nordmann Fir, Douglas Fir and Grand Fir.In addition to fresh-cut and choose-and-cut Christmas trees, Family Christmas Tree Farm offers living potted trees, wreaths, cinnamon brooms, holiday candles, ornaments, lights, gift cards and much more. Yelp named Family Christmas Tree farm as the fourth best Christmas tree farm in the nation!
For more information, visit https://www.familychristmastreefarm.com/.
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Family Christmas Tree Farm