By Julia Train
During Halloween time, Forever Forest is a spooky attraction, but when the holiday season rolls around, the Christmas tree farm is a spot for families to enjoy an evening of activities.
Emil Polito, the owner, didn’t plan to buy a Christmas tree farm when he moved from Brooklyn to Bremen Avenue after retiring from a career on Wall Street. He was looking for a retirement property in the area because he frequently visited South Jersey and often went to Renault Winery. While visiting one day, he came across a “For Sale” sign on the 15-acre property down the street from the winery.
Polito purchased his home without knowing that attached to it was a tree farm. He initially rented out the tree farm part of the property, but when he realized it wasn’t thriving as a business, he transformed it into a holiday experience in 2017.
For $24.95, guests can enter the immersive Christmas Experience Friday through Sunday. There are three sessions on Saturdays and two sessions on Fridays and Sundays, lasting two hours each.
The farm offers both indoor and outdoor activities.
During the experience, guests can navigate through “Whoville,” a tree maze filled with lights and Christmas decorations; During October, it doubles as the Haunted Maze. Guests can also take a Trolley ride through the 13-acre tree farm, which during Halloween is the Haunted Trail, to see more Christmas-themed scenes.
Three barns feature activities such as crafts, face painting, Christmas decorations and karaoke. Visitors can also head to “MarshMello Lane” to enjoy snacks and s’mores available for purchase from a snack trailer by a campfire.
One barn showcases elaborate Christmas decorations, including The Grinch, along with face painting and crafts set to holiday music. Another barn features a stage and chairs for karaoke, while the third offers games like air hockey, foosball and arcade basketball hoops.
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 21, the farm offers festive activities with varying operating hours depending on the selected date. On Saturdays, visitors can enjoy a magic show performed by Nate Unsworth as part of the featured attractions. The Selfie Station barn provides a fun spot for family photos and theme-based selfies.
Guests can also head to Santa’s Workshop to write letters to Santa Claus and visit him for a photo opportunity, enjoy face painting, test toys, play video games and participate in arts and crafts, all while listening to holiday music.
With its array of trees, lights, and decorations, the farm provides the perfect setting to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.
By purchasing a ticket, guests will gain full exclusive access to the 2024 Forever Forest Christmas Experience at 354 Bremen Ave. in Egg Harbor City.
Tickets are valid for the time session selected, but can be used another day in the case of inclement weather. Although sessions are 2-3 hours, guests are welcomed to stay at Forever Forest as long as they wish until closing time, which varies between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m..
Learn more at ForeverForestNJ.com
Julia is a recent Rider University graduate, where she studied multiplatform journalism and social media strategies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, photography and the beach. She can be reached at juliatrainmedia@gmail.com or connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
