Fun Friday – 12 places near Charlotte to pick your own strawberries

Nothing beats freshly picked produce, and it can be fun to do it yourself. An outing to a U-pick farm can be a great tradition for kids. Before you head out, make sure to call and check on conditions. Hours can change depending on the weather and how the crop is doing.

In fact, no matter what you see about hours on other lists…still call. We’re not listing hours because they can vary so much. Click through to the websites or Facebook pages.

This list covers the whole growing season, so you’ll find information on everything from strawberries in the spring to summer peaches to apples in the fall.

We only included farms that have websites or Facebook pages, so that it would be easy to verify the information. We made one exception, for a farm that we couldn’t leave off.

Typical growing seasons in North Carolina:

• Strawberry: Late April to the beginning of June
• Blueberry: Late June or early July, into August
• Blackberry: Late June through July
• Peach: June through September
• Apple: Late August through February

Timing might vary. These are estimates. Here’s a chart from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture that shows approximate growing seasons for many fruits and vegetables.

U-Pick Farms

Bush-n-Vine Farm
1650 Filbert Hwy, York, SC
803-684-2732
Spring: Strawberries
Summer: Blueberries, Blackberries, Peaches
Fall: Pumpkins
Other crops are available for purchase.

Apple Hill Orchard
2075 Pleasant Hill Avenue, Morganton
828-437-1224
Mid-August to late October: Apples
Tours and Saturday wagon tours, bakery, cider mill, country store

Black’s Peaches
1800 Black Highway, York, SC
803-684-2333
May: Strawberries
June through September: Peaches
July: Blackberries

Carrigan Farms
1261 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville
April: Asparagus
May: Strawberries
September: Apples
October: Pumpkins
Use contact form
Visit the website to learn about the other activities throughout the year, such as hayrides, quarry swimming and more.

Deer Run Farms of Midland
12325 US-601, Midland
704-791-0571
Spring: Strawberries

Hall Family Farm
10713 Providence Rd West
704-562-4021
Spring: Strawberries
Fall: Pumpkins
Many kids’ activities available throughout the year

Helm’s Christmas Tree Farm
6345 Christmas Tree Ln, Vale
704-276-1835
Winter (week before Thanksgiving through around December 20): Cut your own Christmas Tree
Also offers hayrides and covered wagon rides

Justus Orchards
187 Garren Rd.
Hendersonville
828-974-1232
July-August: Blackberries
Mid-August to Early November: Apples
Farm and orchard tours, bakery

Lineberger’s Maple Spring Farm
906 Dallas Stanley Hwy, Dallas
704-922-8688
April-May: Strawberries
June-July: Blackberries and Raspberries
September-October: Muscadines
Wagon rides, bonfires, more

The Ivy Place
8603 Van Wyck Road, Lancaster, SC
704-651-3700
April – June: Strawberries
June-August: Blackberries and Blueberries
Updates on Facebook page

Millstone Creeks Orchard
506 Parks Crossroad Church Road, Ramseur
Due to weather conditions there’s no U-pick apples in 2018, but there’s still AppleFest every weekend. Read more on the website.
June-July: Blackberries
June-July: Blueberries
July: Veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, peppers, beans)
July-August: Peaches
July-August: Grapes
August: Sunflowers
August-October: Apples
September-October: Pumpkins/gourds
November: Pecans

The Orchard at Altapass
1025 Orchard Road, Spruce Pine
828-765-9531
Many varieties of apples. Also music, dancing, hayrides, Heritage Thursdays, and more

Patterson Farm
10390 Caldwell Road, Mount Ulla
704-797-0013
Spring: Strawberries
Updates on Facebook page

Piedmont Produce
4212 E. HWY 218, Monroe
704-753-2300
Spring: Strawberries

Rivers’ Blueberries Farm
1595 Colony Road, Rock Hill, SC
Summer: Blueberries

Shady Oaks Farm
3487 Yount Road, Newton
828-464-5722 (call ahead)
Check Facebook page for updates
Summer: Blueberries
Fall: Vegetables

Skytop Orchard
Greenville Hwy. (U.S. 225) with Pinnacle Mountain Rd.
Flat Rock
828-692-7930
August to October: Apples

Springs Farm
835 Springfield Parkway, Fort Mill, SC
803-548-3939
Check Facebook page for updates
Spring: Strawberries
Also: Peach stand at 1010 Springfield Parkway, Fort Mill, SC

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
170 Stepp Orchard Drive
Hendersonville
828-685-9083
August to October: Apples

Summerberry Farm
3430 Rimer Rd, Concord
704-721-0670
Summer: Blackberries
No website or Facebook for this one, but it’s included because of its excellent reputation and because it’s so close to Charlotte. Here’s an unofficial Facebook page.

The Hunter Farm
13624 Providence Road, Weddington
704-846-7975
Spring: Strawberries
Family activities all year. Hayrides, pumpkin patch, bonfires, summer camps, community gardens

Windy Hill Orchard
1860 Black Highway York, SC
803-684-0690
Fall: Apples

Wise Acres
4701 Hartis Road Indian Trail
704-628-6232
Spring: Strawberries
USDA Certified organic farm. Family activities all year.

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
170 Stepp Orchard Drive, Hendersonville
828-685-9083
Fall: Apples, grapes, pumpkins
Updates on Facebook page

Justus Orchard
187 Garren Road, Hendersonville
828-974-1232
Summer: Blackberries
Fall: Apples
Updates on Facebook page

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