Have you been pining away for MulchFest 2021?

On the third day of MulchFest ...

MulchFest 2021 is officially underway (as of Dec. 26). Through Jan. 9, you may drop off your Christmas tree in Tompkins Square Park (see the photo above by Steven). 

Then! 

On Saturday, Jan. 2 and Jan. 9, the Parks Department will be mulching up the trees In Tompkins from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ... where you may take away a bag of weapons-grade mulch for your own garden, tree bed, potted plant, nightstand, green smoothie, etc. 

Weather permitting, the Sanitation Department will also collect and compost (non-decorated) trees left curbside from Jan. 4 through Jan. 15. 

O Christmas trees!

The Tree Riders wrapped up their 10th season of selling Christmas trees outside St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue yesterday afternoon. 

As noted yesterday morning, they only had 16 trees left... and they went quickly. 

One Tree Rider said that they sold more trees in 2020 than in previous years... citing fewer tree stands this year and a demand for live trees from homebound residents who were celebrating the holiday sooner in such an awful year.  

As Fortune reported earlier this month:

Christmas trees — along with wreaths, lights and other decor — are in high demand this year as many Americans embrace holiday festivity in the face of rising coronavirus cases and bleak predictions for the winter months.

Key Food on Avenue A at Fourth Street also sold out yesterday... ditto for the Bueno East Mart down the block at Third Street...

The stand on 14th Street at First Avenue allegedly sold out last weekend ... while Greg's on East Houston at Essex has two rather spindly trees left as of 8:30 a.m. today ...

Yuletide procrastinators may still be able to nab a free tree that has already been discarded... Vinny & O spotted this one yesterday on First Avenue at Second Street... perhaps left behind by someone who is traveling for the holidays...

1 week before Christmas

Bring on Valentine's Day! 

 Photo today on Second Avenue by Allen Semanco...

Tuesday's parting shot

Here's a view from the southwest corner of First Avenue and 14th Street ... where, as you may notice, the Christmas tree vendors have already packed up and left — 10 days before Dec. 25. 

One of the vendors told Pinch, who took the photo, that they had sold out for the season.

Tree Riders pulling onto 2nd Avenue

The Tree Riders are prepping their holiday home outside St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery here on Second Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street... they'll be starting their 10th season selling Christmas trees and wreaths, etc., at this spot starting on Friday. 

Updated 8:30 a.m. 

The tree stand — aka Greg's — is now up along Houston at Essex/Norfolk too...

Sept. 10

EVG reader IzF spotted this today on Third Street between Avenue C and Avenue D... currently the leader.

March 19-21

Three days, three discarded Christmas trees on Avenue A.

Today is MulchFest Part 2 in Tompkins Square Park

As a reminder... today marks the second round of MulchFest 2020. Head over to Tompkins Square Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the metal mulching machine.

The above photo, depicting a creative way to haul a discarded Christmas tree, is from Tompkins Square Park Thursday via Derek Berg. (P.S. Please do not attempt to throw a carpet into the mulcher.)

Day 1 of MulchFest promises to be a tree for all

[Reader photo from Wednesday]

Let the puns chipping commence! Today marks the first of two Chipping Saturdays this month in Tompkins Square Park.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and then again next Saturday (Jan. 11!), park workers will be mulching up the Christmas trees that residents have dropped off in the Park. You can even take a little mulch with you.

Per the Parks Dept. website: "We'll chip your tree and give you your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree."

Meanwhile, we need a tow truck to get this one over to be mulched... spotted this morning on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

MulchFest officially underway with first arrivals in Tompkins Square Park

MulchFest season is now upon us. Starting today, residents may drop off Christmas trees at any MulchFest location through Jan. 11.

EVG MulchFest Senior Editor Steven noted that two trees have already arrived in Tompkins Square Park, perhaps by residents who will be traveling for the remainder of the holidays or need the space for setting up the New Year's buffet.

The trees will gather here until Chipping Saturdays, which take place on Jan. 4 and Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Per the Parks Dept. website:

Bring your tree to a chipping site on Chipping Saturdays to take home a tree-mento! We'll chip your tree and give you your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree.

Previously

Thursday's parting shot

An EVG reader spotted this pre-Christmas discard on 10th Street near Avenue B... (an analysis on the scene confirmed that this tree was purchased this season, and not leftover from last year...)

Twas 8 days before Christmas: MulchFest signage arrives in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo Sunday by Steven]

In case you were wondering, eight days before Christmas, when you might be able to mulch your tree after the holidays (did you even buy one yet?) ... the city is getting an early start with the MulchFesting promotion. Signage arrived in the center of Tompkins Square Park over the weekend.

According to the Parks Department website, you may drop off your tree at any Mulchfest location between Dec. 26 and Jan. 11. Chipping Saturdays will then take place on Jan. 4 and Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Back to the Parks Dept. website:

Bring your tree to a chipping site on Chipping Saturdays to take home a tree-mento! We'll chip your tree and give you your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree.

Stay tuned for a few dozen more MulchFest posts and mulch-related puns (I know this mulch is true!) between now and Jan. 11.

Tree Riders NYC will soon be selling trees on 2nd Avenue

EVG correspondent Steven reports that the Tree Riders NYC have started setting up their tree shop today outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street...





The Christmas trees will arrive here on Friday... this is arguably the most popular and cheerful of the tree stands in the neighborhood... since 2011.

Soon...


[2018]

Trailer Park Santa Stand bucks tradition on 14th Street with mini camper

The Christmas tree vendor is setting up as usual on the northwest corner of 14th Street at First Avenue.

EVG regular Pinch notes something new this year — a mini camper. This takes the place of the Cousin Eddie-style camper that had been parked on 14th Street in recent years, though not last year because of, we heard, the new SBS lane.

No word yet on what inflatables to expect this year. A Santa? A reindeer? A bear? A reindeer with a bear and Santa?

Meanwhile, a look back to 2014...


[On loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art]

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The Year Without a Trailer Park Santa Claus

• Grubby ol' St. Nick inflatable makes triumphant return to 14th Street after 2 (long) years

• Another year without grubby ol' St. Nick on East 14th Street; what to tell the children?

• New, improved inflatable Santa arrives on East 14th Street tree lot

Get an early start on Christmas this Thanksgiving

The tree stand has arrived outside the Bueno East Mart on Avenue A and Third Street — one week out from Thanksgiving and possibly the earliest that we can recall live trees go on sale.

And this is an actual stand and not a backdrop for a Netflix series.

July 16

An EVG reader shared this photo today from Fourth Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street... guess this heat is making people do crazy things like discard their perfectly good Christmas tree from last year (or maybe the year before). This one just needs a little water and should be good as new. Likely best for an apartment that doesn't have any smokers.

Tree-mendous fire wipes out remains of the holiday season in 4th Street pile

Earlier this morning (roughly 12:30), EVG regular jdx was walking on Fourth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A when "a sudden conflagration erupted in a pile of discarded xmas trees that wound up scorching the van parked beside it."

He called 911 and emergency services were all over it in roughly two minutes. Cause of the blaze here alongside the Village View property is unknown.

All photos (and video!) here courtesy of jdx ...













... and video...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Christmas trees burn on East Third Street

MulchFest Day 2 Preview: 87 things you need to know about today's Chip-a-thon in Tompkins Square Park

Well, maybe three things.

1. There aren't many trees. What's there now will take about 75 seconds to mulch.

2. The announced hours for the MulchFest are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

3. There is a mulch mound in the middle of the Park... help yourself to a bag or wheelbarrow full to use in your own garden or to make a winter bed for a tree or to blend in a favorite smoothie recipe.



Day 1 highlights here.

Mulchemian Rhapsody: Chipping underway in Tompkins Square Park!

Let the mulching commence!

Here are some photos via Steven as the two-day Chip-a-thon gets underway in Tompkins Square Park...






[Go Seahawks next season!]



And, despite the promise of a Mulch-themed brunch — bacon, egg & pine sandwiches, chocolate wood chip pancakes and unlimited Mulchmosas — the crowds have not yet arrived for the festivities, which last until 2 p.m. today...



... and again tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

And there are freebies. Per the Parks Department website: "We'll chip your tree and give you your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree."

(Please note that the workers WILL NOT mulch old documents that you need shredded.)

The ghost stand of Christmas past: Holiday confusion as trees return to 2nd Avenue

The EVG inbox lit up this afternoon like a Christmas tree after multiple readers shared photos of the tree stand returning to Second Avenue outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.

This was the very spot that the Tree Riders had this past holiday season before they packed it up on Dec. 24.

Salim, who shared this photo below, notes that the trees appeared this afternoon, seemingly ready for sale, though no one was around to actually sell them. A ghost stand!



Meanwhile, Derek Berg spotted these workers delivering trees to a nearly locale in the Abe Lebewohl Triangle at 10th/Stuyvesant this afternoon ...





Apparently all this is prep work for holiday-related scenes tomorrow for "The Village," a new NBC series that has been filming around here in recent months.

Updated

I asked the Tree Riders via Facebook what was happening: "NBC liked our set up so much they asked us to come back after the holidays for a shoot!"


[Photo from last night]