Pioneer Trail Get Ready for Holiday Hollow: Everything you need to know

While there are still a few days separating us from a trip to Holiday Hollow in Pioneer Trail, that doesn't mean you can't get into the Christmas spirit now, as the "Get Ready for Holiday Hollow" gift exchange event has launched, giving you goals to complete and presents to receive while we wait for Holiday Hollow itself to launch.

First things first, you'll have a new goal to complete once this feature rolls around to your game (you'll need to be Level 15 or above to access it).

The Baker's Delight

    Tend 20 Adult Sheep
    Craft Holiday Bakers Outfit
    Watch Holiday Hollow Video


The Holiday Bakers Outfit is crafted using one Holiday Apron and 12 Holiday Mitts. The Holiday Apron itself is crafted using 10 Fine Wool Thread (gathered by tending sheep) and eight Holiday Cloths. These cloths are earned by asking your friends to send them to you. Once you've made the Apron, you'll need to collect the 12 Holiday Mitts from friends to create the ultimate Holiday Bakers Outfit.

With this done, you'll receive one Large Red Present, 300 XP and 300 coins. When you open this present, you'll receive the Holiday Hollow sign, which works as a building in that you can collect a Daily Bonus from it once every 24 hours. This gives you Candy Canes, which are like the Charms of Ghost Town in that you'll need to collect more and more of them to earn better prizes once Holiday Hollow proper launches.

Now that we've been introduced to Nettie the Baker from Holiday Hollow, we'll meet Murt the Chimney Sweep.

Capturing the Town

    Clear 10 Rocks on your Homestead of a Neighbors'
    Harvest 20 Sugar Plums
    Craft Snow Globe


The Snow Globe is crafted using two Glass Globes and 20 Ceramic Miniatures. The Glass Globes are created using two Pure Grain Sand (earned by clearing rocks) and eight Glass Cutters, which are earned by asking friends. The Ceramic Miniatures are also earned by asking your friends to send them to you. Meanwhile, Sugar Plums are a crop that take four hours to harvest. For finishing this goal, you'll receive a Large Blue Present, 400 XP and 400 coins.

This Large Blue Present contains a Holiday Mantle which will also give you Candy Canes as a daily bonus when you collect them. Finally, you'll be challenged with a third themed goal.

A Nutty Surprise

    Chop Pine Trees 30 Times
    Harvest 20 Peppermint Trees
    Craft Nutcracker


The Nutcracker is crafted using two Wooden Soldiers and 30 Strong Hinges. The Wooden Soldiers are another crafting project, created using eight Fine Pine and 10 Whittling Knives each. The Knives and Strong Hinges are earned by simply asking your friends to send them to you, while the Fine Pine are earned by chopping down Large or XL Pine Trees on your Homestead.

For finishing this third and final goal in the "Get Ready for Holiday Hollow" series, you'll receive a Large Green Present and 500 XP. You'll also unlock the ability to purchase and plant Jumbo Canes (jumbo Candy Canes) as a crop in the store. With both this crop and the Sugar Plum crop above, there will of course be new collections to complete, each of which offers you Candy Canes as a reward.

Once Holiday Hollow itself launches, and we're able to travel to this Christmas-themed village, we'll make sure to let you know what to expect once you too arrive, along with what all of those hard-earned Candy Canes will get you. Keep checking back with us!

Are you excited to complete this Holiday Hollow preparation feature? Are you looking forward to traveling to Holiday Hollow, or did you not enjoy the similar Ghost Town feature either?

Pioneer Trail Shaman Lodge Goals: Everything you need to know

Finally, Halloween approaches. Zynga is already preparing its in-game festivities with the release of the Shaman Lodge to Pioneer Trail. Laughing Bear the Shaman has arrived on the Homestead, and he foresees a terrible spookiness on your land. It's up to you (if you're at least Level 17) to help Laughing Bear build his lodge to collect as many charms as possible in preparation for a seriously spooky event.

Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:

Clearin' the Ground

    * Place the Shaman Lodge
    * Clear 12 Skulls
    * Harvest 30 Sunflowers


When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up

    * Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
    * Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
    * Collect 15 Eerie Gems


By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.

Final Preparations

    * Clobber six Snakes
    * Harvest 30 Peppermint
    * Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows


Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.

[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]

Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment