Queens residents can kick off the post-holiday season with NYC Parks’ annual Mulchfest tree-chipping celebration beginning Thursday, Dec. 26.
This year’s event offers an eco-friendly way to dispose of holiday trees, with drop-off locations across Queens and a special “chipping weekend” on Saturday, Jan. 11, and Sunday, Jan. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
During the chipping weekend, residents can bring their Christmas trees to a chipping site, watch as they are turned into mulch, and take home a bag of nutrient-rich mulch for their gardens. NYC Parks encourages everyone to “tree-cycle” and help surpass last year’s record of 46,626 trees recycled. “Bring your tree to a chipping site on Chipping Weekend to take home a tree-mento!” NYC Parks announced.
“Mulchfest is as much about nourishing our city’s living infrastructure as it is about building community by bringing neighbors together to practice sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “Last year, New Yorkers truly outdid themselves, recycling over 46,000 trees, and we’re hoping to better that total for 2025.”
Citi, the event’s sponsor, emphasized the importance of this tradition. “There is no better way to close out the holidays than by bringing your tree to Mulchfest and watching it turn into something that will help our city become greener and better all year round,” said Ed Skyler, Head of Enterprise Services & Public Affairs at Citi.
In Queens, Mulchfest 2025 offers both chipping and drop-off-only sites at the following locations:
Chipping Sites
– Astoria Park, 19th Street and Hoyt Avenue
– Cunningham Park, 196th Place and Union Turnpike
– Forest Park, Forest Park Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard
– Francis Lewis Park, Third Avenue and Whitestone Expressway Service Road
– Hunter’s Point South Park, 51st Avenue and Center Boulevard
– Juniper Valley Park, 80th Street between Juniper Boulevard North and South
– Roy Wilkins Park, 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard
– Travers Park, 78th Street and 34th Avenue
Drop-Off-Only Sites
– Captain Mario Fajardo Playground, Kissena Boulevard at Booth Memorial Avenue
– John Golden Park, 215th Place and 33rd Avenue
– Queensbridge Park, Vernon Boulevard and Queensbridge Park Greenway
– Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway
– Rockaway Beach, 94th Street and Shorefront Parkway
– Torsney/Lou Lodati Playground, Skillman Avenue and 42nd Street
– Windmuller Park at Lawrence Virgilio Playground, 39th Drive and 54th Street
To ensure smooth tree recycling, residents are reminded to remove all lights, ornaments, and netting before bringing their trees to a Mulchfest site.
Mulchfest 2025 runs daily from Dec. 26 through Jan. 12. For more information, including a complete list of citywide locations, visit nyc.gov/mulchfest.
