Clean Trees: Best Ways To Throw Away Your Christmas Tree In Beacon

Photo Credit: Vicki Raabin

It’s that time… Maybe you were on the ball and did it on January 1, or maybe you’re thinking of doing it today. The time has come to dispose of your Christmas tree, and here are best ways to do it. The City of Beacon’s Highway Department will pick it up for free, but you need to meet their requirements:

• Nekkid: Strip that tree down of all ornaments, lights, bows, anything that is not the tree. These trees go to the Transfer Station to be mulched, so they can’t have any other element on them, other than natural nature. If you’ve moved from New York City, where putting out a fully decorated tree is the norm (there was some good trash/decoration picking to be had off those wasted trees!), well, you can’t do that here.

• Sidewalk - in view: Leave that tree in plain sight on its side. If the workers in the trucks can’t see your tree, then they won’t stop to pick it up.

• Give ‘em a call: If your Christmas tree has been out on the sidewalk for weeks and weeks, give the Highway Department a call to tip them off that your end of town could use a run. According to our article in 2017, the Highway Department divides the city into grids, and travels through the grids looking for trees to pick up.

Leaf bags are still being picked up, too. If you’ve got piles of leaves or aging grass clippings in your backyard, you could use this time to bag it, and put it to the curb before the next snowfall.

Photo Credits: We put out a tweet call for reader photos of Christmas trees they found on the sidewalk to be used in this photo. Thank you Vicki Raabin and Erin Giunta for your submissions!

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Photo Credits: Erin Giunta

Where To Buy A Faux Christmas Tree - And Could It Cure Your Cold?

Faux Christmas trees were the answer to this family’s recurring sniffles and chronic coughing.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Most of you are searching for where to buy a real Christmas tree in Beacon right now. And why wouldn’t you be? 'The hunt for the live Christmas tree is the most fun part of the start of the holiday season! But did you know that your Christmas tree, and any live-greens garland, might be bringing on that mystery “cold” you just can’t kick?

I know - I’ve been a denialist for years about this, until I went to the ER in Poughkeepsie two Christmases ago with a really bad asthma cough, and actually got better at the ER, surrounded by goopy, miserable people. Hear me out:

The Christmas Tree Can Bring On Allergies, Causing Asthma, Runny Noses, Prickly Skin

Pretty much every year, I get really sick. We all do, right? It’s normal. While at an in-law family Christmas dinner down South years ago, where the halls are decked with loads of garland, I basically had to sit outside in the cold fresh air for most of the dinner preparations, while my head calmed down and I could breathe again. I called home to my mom, telling her of my symptoms. “You’ve always been allergic to the Christmas tree!” she said. Oh yeah… I forgot.

I forget every year. Two years ago, while pregnant with my third child, my asthma was really acting up. But it wasn’t like an asthma attack, it was a simple tickle-cough. Totally normal, right? Doesn’t everyone have a tickle-cough? At the Holiday Family Fun Night in the school cafeteria, PTA parents were handing out the wreaths that families bought as part of a fundraiser. I was slowly fading away into a head fog, but just thought I was tired. Eventually I couldn’t speak to people anymore, without coughing. I was whispering.

The next morning, I called my midwife to ask her if it was safe to take my kid’s inhaler while pregnant. My kids both have asthma coughs, so I’m a professional nebulizer person. Her response? “I can hear you not breathing. I can hear you pushing the words out. Take yourself to the ER to measure your oxygen.”

Great. So off my dad and I went to Vassar. The waiting room was overflowing with the flu. As my dad Googled how to fix the computer board on our broken washing machine (Darn that thing! Pro tip: Buy the cheapest washing machine with the least amount of bells and whistles!!!), my lungs started clearing up in this germ-infested room. After half an hour, we left. And I remembered about the Christmas tree.

Therefore, out went the live Christmas tree, and so began our hunt for a fake Christmas tree!

The Hunt For The Fake Christmas Tree

We went to #allthestores to find the perfect faux Christmas tree, and wowzers, there are fun selections. Clearly we will be having several different trees because it’s too hard to pick just one. Great news, though: We have many options for artificial Christmas trees here in Beacon and around the Hudson Valley:

Faux or Artificial Christmas Trees In And Around Beacon

BRETT’S HARDWARE - 18 West Main Street, Beacon, NY

Brett’s Hardware (True Value)

Your closest and friendliest option is Brett’s Hardware at 18 West Main Street in Beacon, NY, down toward the train near the Hudson River. There, you’ll find all the things you need for a faux Christmas tree Christmas. With rainbow pre-lit trees, prices start at $89 for a 7-foot tree that has plugs for the lights running down the tree, and $149 for a 7.5-foot tree without plugs to fiddle with, so just piece it together and it works once plugged in at the bottom. BAM! You’re done.

But maybe you want more lights, so more lights you shall have. Brett’s has different colored Christmas lights, and those neat laser lights that all the neighbors are getting. You want some instant holiday stars? You got ‘em. There are different styles and prices of the laser light spinner as well. Brett’s Hardware also has plastic bin containers to store your ornaments and decorations.

Brett’s Hardware is open until 8 pm every weeknight, so if you’re commuting home, just stop on by. Brett’s is open ‘til 7 pm on Saturdays and 5:30 pm on Sundays. Brett’s is in the True Value family, so they can get in on good group pricing.

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Pier 1

Way up Route 9, you’ll find Pier 1. Luckily, it’s right near a Starbucks to help fortify you through the afternoon shopping. There are beautifully bushy white artificial Christmas trees there, but they start at $400. If you weren’t planning on investing in a faux Christmas tree this year, you might want to put this on your wish list for Santa for next year. (Or check back after Christmas - maybe there’ll be a big sale?)

Target

Target in Poughkeepsie is where I found the smallish silver tinsel tree (about $80) that graces my office here at A Little Beacon Space. To be honest, I was looking for a pink tinsel tree, like the one Howling At The Edge Of Chaos has in her storefront window. But this fun one will work for now!

Rite Aid

Located in the middle of Main Street in Beacon, you may find some short (about waist-high) faux Christmas trees that could fit in a small window - with white frosting on the tips. After three years, the white “frost” on one of ours just turned yellow. Soooo… time to check on these options!

Happy decorating!

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SPONSOR SUPPORT: Brett’s Hardware supported this article with an Article Sponsorship! We can bring you stories and ideas like this with the help of all of our advertisers at any level. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us!

Christmas Trees For Sale From Beacon Engine Fire Company

Christmas trees for sale in the Beacon Engine parking lot.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

In case you wanted more warm and fuzzy feelings about where you are getting your Christmas Tree this year, the Beacon Engine Fire Company has gotten their X-MAS TREES sign back out, and filled the lot with plump trees - all just waiting to be strapped to the top of your car.

The Christmas trees are sold from the Beacon Engine parking lot at 60 East Main Street, right next to Dogwood’s parking lot. A single rope divides the lots. Open hours are Wednesday to Friday, 5 to 9 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Speaking of, you can make an easy night of it with dinner at any of the restaurants on the east side of Beacon, like Dogwood, Melzingah Tap House, or Sukhothai. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide for more dinner ideas.

Looking for other places to get your tree? See our updated article, ”Where To Buy A Christmas Tree in Beacon NY.”

Share your pics of which tree you take home! Tag A Little Beacon Blog in your Instagram photo - we’re @alittlebeacon.

P.S.: While we’re mentioning the Engine Co., we should share an important public-service announcement: The City of Beacon Fire Department reminds you to not leave cell phone chargers plugged in! They are a fire hazard.