NEWBURY — Hundreds of Christmas trees went through the woodchipper Jab. 11 as people partied in the snow during Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm and Historic New England’s first ever “Chipfest.”
“We were so delighted by the response that we got from folks both during the lead-up to it that day and then even after,” Historic New England Director of Marketing Laura Sullivan said.
Chipfest took place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the farm. People brought their trees and farm staff put them through a woodchipper, then presented their owners with a bag of mulch to take home.
“The folks from Black Earth Compost were chipping away for most of the day,” Sullivan said.
The event replaced the nearly 15-year tradition of hosting a Christmas tree bonfire.
“We know it was a big pivot. We know that the bonfire was beloved in the community and that folks were going to miss that. We get that. But we needed to change this event for several different reasons,” Sullivan said.
One of the biggest reasons, she said, is Historic New England’s commitment to preservation.
“In September of 2023, we adopted a climate-action plan here at Historic New England, and so it was really important for us to take a fresh look at things that we were doing,” Sullivan said.
The other reason is they had discussions with the Newbury Fire Department in the wake of the fires that had been devastating the state.
“This was something that we had sort of planned on doing anyway, and then through those conversations made it much more clear to us that this was a decision that we needed to make,” Sullivan said.
She said she is happy with the turnout for the festival – more than 200 people in four hours.
“And while it was a different vibe, we saw a lot of families that day. We saw a lot of folks who’ve never been to Spencer Pierce little farm, which was really great,” Sullivan said.
In total, she said, they wound up putting around 500 trees through the chipper, with 225 being dropped off early. Some people brought multiple trees.
“There was a guy who actually brought four trees. He said he brought his and a neighbor’s,” Sullivan said.
Historic Site Manager Shanna Sartori stressed they tried to keep it a party atmosphere, with food and drink vendors from Ipswich, Redding, Amesbury, and Byfield.
“The tractor rides are really popular. We had face painting going all day and art making in the visitor center, and our s’more roasting station was really popular,” Sartori said.
Sullivan said the event will return next year.
“We’re looking forward to doing it next year and just growing it and seeing how it morphs every season,” Sullivan said.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.