Brentwood U-Pick
Pick cherries in late spring, then peaches and nectarines into summer. Go early, it gets hot.
1.25 hrs drive · Half day · Best for all ages · May–Aug
Day 1: Morning picking
- 7:30 Check the Harvest Time farm status page, then drive to Brentwood
- 8:30 Pick cherries or stone fruit at the first farm while it is cool
- 10:30 Second farm, or one with a playground and picnic area like Farmer's Daughter
- 12:00 Picnic, put fruit in a cooler, head home
From parents who have been
- Bring a wagon. Toddlers get tired of walking, and the wagon can carry the cherries too. Use a small bucket so you don't over-pick, since you pay for everything you pick. 510 Families
- Brentwood afternoons often go over 95F in late May, and water is limited in the orchards. Pick early, bring plenty of water, and leave a cooler in the car. Bring both cash and a tap-to-pay card, since some farms take only one or the other. 510 Families
- Freitas Cherry Ranch has young trees with lots of low branches little kids can reach. Cherry Time sells pre-picked cherries too, which is a good fallback when kids lose interest. The Mamahood
- Pick only where staff tell you to. Sections ripen at different times, and fruit from the wrong area is usually the 'not ready' cherries people complain about. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dusty. Macaroni Kid Brentwood
- Pease Ranch has shade, a small picnic area and plenty of parking. Maggiore is quieter but moves its orchards, so confirm the address. Farm toilets are hot porta-potties, so make a restroom stop in town first. Kitchen Confidante
- Don't trust the Harvest Time website hours on their own. One parent found a farm picked clean after a weekend rush. Open the farm's page, then call that morning. 510 Families
- At Nunn Better Farms on Sellers Ave, the lot was full by 10 am a little after the 9 am opening, and traffic backed up by noon. It was cash only and you could eat while you picked, so bring a water bottle to rinse fruit. Some varieties, like yellow cherries, ripened a week or more later. Dealmoon Chinese-language post
Good to know
- Cherry season lasts about two months. In 2026 the first orchards opened April 25. Different types ripen one after another, so it changes week to week.
- Peaches, nectarines and pluots run about June to mid-August at several farms.
- Afternoons often go over 95°F. Go in the morning and bring water, hats, sunscreen and closed-toe shoes.
- Bring cash, since many farms are cash only. Pick only where staff tell you to, since different rows ripen at different times.
Sources: Contra Costa News: 2026 cherry season · 510 Families: summer stone fruit picking · Macaroni Kid: cherry season tips