There’s no better way to greet summer than with a bowl of bright red strawberries – except grabbing the kids and hitting the fields to pick them yourself. And, if you’re a parent, babysitter, or nanny in need of a fun outing idea for the kids, this may be just the ticket.
There are many farms just outside of Chicago that give families a taste of this classic summer activity — that is, to hunt for the ripest berries, fill up their buckets, then pile back in the car with red-stained fingers (and shirts). You can use the ride home to talk about all the shortcakes and jams you’ll make with your spoils. After a day soaking up the scenery and country air at these family farms, you won’t want to go back to picking out strawberries at the grocery store.
Stade’s Farm and Market
Address: 3709 Miller Road, McHenry, IL 60051
Hours:
- Market: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- U-Pick: Open daily, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 815-675-6396
This McHenry County farm has fields full of strawberries ready to pick, plus a market where you can buy them without the work (should your child run out of patience before your freezer runs out of space). Don’t miss the chance to browse the market’s bounty of produce, and to pick up seasonal sweets like the strawberry doughnuts and strawberry slushies.
Check Stade’s online schedule for details on what else you can pick through the year. They offer everything from raspberries, green beans and sugar snap peas in the summer, to pumpkins in the fall, when the farm also offers a ton of activities like rides and a petting zoo.
Thompson Strawberry Farm
Address: 14000 75th St., Bristol, WI 53104
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.⎹ Saturday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Phone: 262-857-2353
Strawberries are the specialty here — they grow 20 acres of them on this farm in Bristol, Wisconsin (conveniently located on the way from Chicago to summer getaway Lake Geneva). Fill the provided boxes high with ripe berries (believe the sign that says the best ones are under the leaves) and enjoy the scenery of the green fields. You can buy pre-picked boxes at the small stand, too, but that’s it; there are no frills at this friendly farm.
Remember your cash and call or check their website before making the drive. The farm closes when picking isn’t ideal, and they always post updates on conditions so visitors know when it’s best to swing by. Picking usually goes until around the Fourth of July, and raspberries start in late August.
Heider’s Berry Farm
Address: 1106 N. Queen Anne Road, Woodstock, IL 60098
Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 815-338-0301
This farm – once the largest berry farm in the state — has been run by the Heider family for five generations. Once you’ve picked your strawberries, ask about their homemade jam, rhubarb (usually available until the end of June) and the black raspberries, golden raspberries, and cherries that ripen later in the summer. Check their Facebook page for updated picking information before heading to their fields in Woodstock, Illinois and be ready to pay by cash or check. Looking for some ideas on how to use all those berries? Heider’s website lists the family’s favorite recipes for pies, cobblers and breads.
Olive Berry Acres
Address: 2575 W. Mine Road, Mazon, IL 60444
Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Saturday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Check website for specific times.
Phone: 815-474-6511
All strawberries aren’t created equal — apparently. They grow several types at this farm, including two varieties developed by the owner’s brother at Cornell University. Olive Berry Acres only opens the fields when the picking is good, so check their Facebook page for hours the day you are looking to pick. Once you’ve run out of room in your buckets, pay for your strawberries in their picture-perfect red barn — just try to resist snapping some shots of the kids by it!
Garwood Orchards
Address: 5911 W. 50 South, La Porte, IN 46350
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.⎹ Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Phone: 219-362-4385
The kids will love catching a wagon ride from the Garwood Orchards market to the picking fields, where you can all get to work filling your boxes with the ripest strawberries. Afterward, enjoy the ride back with your loot and pick a snack at the fully stocked market – they have gelato, sorbetto, and a bakery serving up pies, cookies and doughnuts. In the fall, you can come back for the apple fest and live music on weekends.
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below!
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