NYC Mulchfest: Dates, Locations, and How to Recycle Your Tree
NYC Mulchfest gives your Christmas tree one last job: becoming mulch for the city's parks and street trees. Each winter, NYC Parks invites New Yorkers to drop off real trees at participating sites or bring them to a chipping location and take home a bag of fresh mulch. It's free, and it keeps tens of thousands of trees out of landfills every season.
This guide covers when Mulchfest usually runs, where to find drop-off and chipping sites, and how to prepare your tree. It also explains your options if you can't get to a site. A few minutes of planning now can save you a wasted trip in January.
What Are the NYC Mulchfest 2027 Dates?
NYC Mulchfest 2027 dates have not been announced yet. The most recent event ran from December 26, 2025, through January 11, 2026, with Chipping Weekend on January 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop-offs have opened on December 26 in recent years, so expect a similar window. Check the official NYC Parks Mulchfest page for the upcoming schedule and participating locations.
Mulchfest generally offers two options: drop off your tree during the designated collection period or visit a chipping site during Chipping Weekend. At participating chipping locations, you may be able to watch your tree being processed and take home free mulch.
Confirm the dates and operating hours before leaving home, as annual schedules and participating sites can change.
Where to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in NYC
You can recycle your Christmas tree at participating sites across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Some locations accept trees for drop-off only, while others offer chipping during designated hours.
The following are examples of locations listed on the previous schedule. Verify their participation before visiting.
Brooklyn Mulchfest Locations
Previous Brooklyn locations included:
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 3 Plaza, chipping
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5 Uplands, drop-off only
- Fort Greene Park, chipping
- Domino Park, chipping
- McCarren Park, chipping
- Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, drop-off only
- Sunset Park at 44th Street and Sixth Avenue, drop-off only
For every address and the service offered at each site, see the full site list on NYC Parks' Mulchfest page. Choose a site based on your neighborhood and whether you want to drop off your tree or watch it being chipped.
Other Boroughs
Past Mulchfest locations have included Central Park and Riverside Park in Manhattan, Van Cortlandt Park and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, Astoria Park and Forest Park in Queens, and Clove Lakes Park and Willowbrook Park on Staten Island.
Because sites and services can change, use the official directory rather than relying on an old address list. If you're traveling by car, check access instructions and parking arrangements before loading your tree.
How to Prepare Your Tree for Mulchfest
Preparing your tree correctly helps ensure it can be recycled safely and efficiently. Before leaving home, remove all decorations and confirm that your chosen location accepts trees on the day you plan to visit.
- Remove decorations: Take off ornaments, lights, tinsel, hooks, and artificial snow
- Remove the stand: Detach the tree stand and any other hardware
- Remove netting: Make sure no plastic wrapping or netting remains on the branches
- Check the location: Confirm the address, dates, operating hours, and whether the site offers chipping
- Plan transportation: Secure the tree for transport and consider how you'll carry it through your building
Some participating chipping sites distribute mulch during Chipping Weekend, but availability and arrangements vary. Check the official event information before making a special trip to collect it.
What Happens to Your Tree at Mulchfest?
Mulchfest turns real Christmas trees into wood chips that help nourish New York City's trees and green spaces. Recycling your tree gives it a useful second life rather than sending it to a landfill.
The resulting mulch can help insulate tree beds during cold weather and support soil health as organic material breaks down. Removing decorations before drop-off is essential because non-natural materials do not belong in the chipping process.
If you're interested in other ways to reduce holiday waste, the NYC Department of Sanitation provides information about recycling and waste collection throughout the city.
What If You Cannot Attend Mulchfest?
You can still recycle your Christmas tree without visiting a Mulchfest site. The NYC Department of Sanitation collects real trees and wreaths at the curb every week on your regular recycling and composting day, so there's no special collection window to wait for. Collected trees are composted along with food scraps and yard waste.
Before putting your tree out, remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the stand, and don't wrap it in a plastic bag. Set it at the curb next to your other compostable materials, not in a park or on a corner that isn't a designated site. DSNY's Christmas tree collection guidance has the full details.
If carrying a full-size tree down apartment stairs or transporting it across the city is impractical, professional removal may be more convenient. Depending on the service, you may also be able to arrange light and ornament removal.
How Much Does Christmas Tree Recycling Cost in NYC?
Mulchfest drop-off is free, and so is the city's weekly curbside tree collection. If you can carry your tree to a park or down to the curb, recycling it costs nothing.
Professional removal costs vary according to tree size, building access, pickup arrangements, and any additional services requested. Before booking, confirm whether the service includes carrying the tree out of your home, removing decorations, and responsible recycling.
If you live in a walk-up apartment or cannot transport your tree easily, paying for removal may save time and physical effort. Otherwise, the city's free options may be sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Volunteer at NYC Mulchfest?
Yes. NYC Parks has offered volunteer sessions where you help spread Mulchfest mulch around city trees to insulate them from the cold, with registration online. Park partners such as the Prospect Park Alliance and the Cobble Hill Association have also recruited Chipping Weekend volunteers, so check the NYC Parks Mulchfest page and local park groups in December.
Can You Recycle a Christmas Tree That Has Artificial Snow?
Ask first. NYC Parks' published Mulchfest rules cover lights, ornaments and netting, but they don't address flocked trees, and artificial snow is not a natural material. Contact NYC Parks or staff at your chosen site before bringing a flocked tree, and if it isn't accepted, follow DSNY's disposal guidance instead.
Are Christmas Tree Recycling Sites Accessible by Public Transportation?
Accessibility varies by location. Some sites are near subway stations or bus routes, while others may require a longer walk through a park. Check the site's address and your transit route before leaving, and consider the size and weight of your tree when deciding whether public transportation is practical.
Can You Recycle Wreaths and Garland at Mulchfest?
Mulchfest is set up for Christmas trees, so check with NYC Parks before bringing wreaths or garland. The simpler route is curbside collection: DSNY collects undecorated real wreaths on your weekly recycling and composting day, alongside trees. Remove ribbons, bows and other decorations first, and don't put them out in plastic bags.
Recycle Your Tree Without the Hassle
NYC Mulchfest is the easiest free way to recycle a real Christmas tree if you can get it to a park, and weekly curbside collection covers you if you can't. Check the new dates once NYC Parks announces them, take every decoration off the tree, and pick the option that suits your building and schedule.
If you bought your tree from AA Christmas Trees and hauling it down the stairs isn't realistic, our team can collect it from your home and make sure it's responsibly recycled. Choose your tree's size, a removal date and a time window, and add light and ornament removal if you'd rather not undress the tree yourself.
Pickups run in morning, afternoon and evening windows across New York City, with removal on select days in Staten Island, Far Rockaway and the Bronx.
Skip the trip to NYC Mulchfest and schedule your tree removal pickup.