Helms Christmas Tree Farm

Here are the key things you need to know:
1) Every single thing is going to cost you, including shaking and netting the tree as well as a small «tree care package,» which is essentially a packet of plant food you dissolve in water. Photo with Santa? Extra. Ride in a makeshift train? $ 3 per kid. Hot cocoa? You get the idea.
2) RUDE staff. While two workers were securing the tree to the roof of our car, a man walked up to one and said, «If you ever leave [whatever tool it was] out there again, I’ll kick your ass.» The windows were down and my sister’s three small kids were in the back. I asked the guy if he was kidding because … hello, kids present. He just glared at me and walked away.
With many wonderful tree farms near Boone, we will not be returning. Save your money and your time — and a trip home explaining why the mean man cursed out his coworker.

Instead of going to our usual Christmas Tree Farm, Cedar Lakes, the wife and daughter wanted to go some place else this year, so we ended up at Helms Christmas Tree Farm in Vale.
Not only are the trees way more expensive, but they nickel and dime you to death for everything.
We looked first at the Frasier Furs which is what we normally buy but all of those we $ 80 and up compared to the $ 45 we paid last year, so we opted for a cut your own.
We payed $ 66 for 8 – 9 foot Leyland Cypress, then netting was an add’l $ 3, drilling the water hole another $ 3 and the tree preservative, yep you guessed right, another $ 3!
Inside the gift shop, coffee and hot apple cider was $ 1 per cup (free at Cedar Lakes) and bag of ground up Christmas tree limbs to make potpuorri was and add’l $ 1 and up depending on the size bag you wanted, again free at Cedar Lakes.
There was no farm animals to be found, which my granddaughter really enjoyed last year.
We did get a pretty tree, but all in all with the higher cost for the tree, netting, drinks, ect. we paid about $ 40 more than last year, so this was our last visit to Helms Christmas Tree Farm. Next year we will return to Cedar Lakes with out a doubt.
At Cedar Lakes, the tree prices are very reasonable, the staff friendly and helpful and they don’t nickel and dime you to death for everything. Plus we all enjoy the many farm animals and other activities such as a petting zoo and visits from Santa on the week-​ends they have at Cedar Lakes as well.