Orchards Near Me
Cherry Picking Near Boston: What You Need to Know
Massachusetts has a genuine cherry picking tradition, with orchards in Worcester County and the Connecticut River valley growing sweet and sour cherries that are typically ready from mid-June through early July. The cherry season here is shorter than apple season but equally worth experiencing, particularly at the orchards that have been growing cherries for multiple generations and know exactly how to time their picking programs.
New England and Northeast Cherry Picking
The northeastern states grow both sweet and sour cherry varieties in their orchards, with the best operations concentrated in New York's Hudson Valley, Massachusetts's Connecticut River valley, and the highlands of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The cherry season in the Northeast runs from mid-June through early July—briefer than apple season but equally rewarding for those who plan for it. The same farms that run large apple picking programs in the fall often run quieter, more intimate cherry picking programs in early summer, offering a chance to experience orchard country when it's less crowded and the landscape is at its early-summer best. Heritage sweet varieties and old-fashioned sour pie cherries coexist at many of these farms, and the fresh-pressed cherry juice available at farm stands is worth seeking out specifically.
Best Time to Go Cherry Picking Near Boston
Mid-June through early July for the Worcester County and Connecticut River valley cherry orchards, a brief and underappreciated season.
Tips for Your Boston Cherry Picking Trip
Massachusetts cherry picking in mid-June is one of the less-publicized seasonal traditions of the Bay State, and the farms in Worcester County and the Pioneer Valley that do grow cherries tend to have loyal followings of locals who know to come back every year. Go early and on a weekday—the cherry harvest is shorter than apple season and the best picking goes quickly.