Cavanna’s Farm is many things: a multigenerational family homestead, a seasonal destination for Christmas cheer, and an ambitious labor of love where train rail lines glint alongside fields of evergreens.
At the heart of it all today is the Cavanna family, whose devotion to preserving family legacy and building something new has transformed the farm into a year-round destination — one that takes on a particularly cheery glow when the year-end holiday season arrives.
The roughly 200-acre farm off Woodland Street in South Glastonbury has been in the Cavanna family since 1903, when the first generation began cultivating fruit trees and tobacco, strawberries and Christmas trees came in the 1950’s and then maple syrup in 1999.
Over time, the orchard diversified; more recently, the farm has become well known for its cut-your-own Christmas trees, drawing families from across Connecticut to select fresh firs from among the rows of evergreens.
John Cavanna, one of several Cavanna siblings, has built much of his life around the farm’s rhythms. A full-time Hartford police sergeant, he helps his family tend the farm fields with characteristic energy, rolling up his sleeves in planting, pruning, and promotion.
The crowning glory of Cavanna’s Farm nowadays is the Gray Granite Railroad, an ambitious labor of love John launched in 2017. The self-made railway runs through about a half mile of the tree-growing part of Cavanna’s Farm. It winds past two cabins that John built where Santa takes up residence each winter to meet with children and their families.
John began work on it after announcing one day to his father, Paul Cavanna, “Dad, I want to build a railroad.” His father, John says, just laughed it off. But John credits his mom, Cathy Cavanna with encouraging him to “chase my dream and build the railroad.”
Today the 1-mile line runs from the lower part of the farm along Woodland Street up a tree-lined ridge and alongside Roaring Brook, which winds through the farm property. John says he’s happy that his father, who was the heart of the farm for so many decades and who passed away this past year, was able to see the operation in action.
John and his brother Andy have overseen the track laying, mechanical restoration and safety operations of the railroad, which is more than whimsical — it’s a hands-on educational platform that invites children and adults alike to connect with mechanical history, steam power, and the rural past in a modern setting.
They have begun clearing and shaping the land to extend the railroad another three-quarters of a mile.
John has acquired numerous antique train cars and engines - some dating back more than 100 years - that he’s repaired and put to use. And during the rail project he started a new and profitable business on the farm, a quarry operation that also produces the tons of stone needed to make up the rail bed.
“This is what happens when you never got a toy train set as a kid,” John jokes as he overlooks his trains and tracks. “You end up building your own real train set!”
The train tours run throughout the year, not just at Christmas, ferrying visitors for farm tours, including berry-picking customers in the summer and pumpkin picking ones in fall.
During the holiday season, John leads farm tours, fires up woodstoves in the visitors’ cabins, and ensures that every tree lot is primed to evoke that classic Christmas tree farm ambiance.
The Gray Granite Railroad takes center stage at Christmas.. Car loads of fun-seeking families and adults converge on the farm starting in November. John says his family has developed a routine for them.
Parents send along the names of their children and even include anecdotes about milestones in their lives so Santa can talk to the children about them. Parents bring wrapped gifts for their kids, which are secretly taken to Santa so he can surprise the children with them.
The immersive experience is what sets Cavanna’s apart from other tree farms and has made it a must-see experience. For many, a visit is as much about the ambiance — hot cider, twinkling lights, hayrides, warm bonfires — all while finding the perfect Christmas tree.
Cavanna's Farm
80 Woodland St.
On Social: @Cavannasfarm
Phone: 860-659-1856