Outdoors & Adventure

Pick Your Own Harvest in Charlotte

Nothing tastes better than eating in season, and there are plenty of local farms offering “you pick” experiences within a short drive of Charlotte. Spend a day picking your own produce and enjoying the scenery at these homegrown stops.

by Jamie Killian Sep 27, 2022

Aw Shucks Farms

Area: Monroe
Admission: $12-adults; $10-kids
Reservations: No

Pick your pumpkin and so much more at Aw Shucks Farms. Admission includes a hay ride, corn maze, admission to the animal barn and play area. They are only open on the weekends but the fun carries on into the evening with private fire pit experiences and a beer booth.

Bush-N-Vine Farm - Photo by Cody Hughes Photography

Bush-N-Vine Farm

Area: York, SC
Admission: No
Reservations: No

An integral part of the Hall family story for over 150 years, Bush-N-Vine Farm got its start solely in peaches. Today the farm offers strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and pumpkins by the pound, which you can pick straight from the vine. The farm still offers a one-mile, self-guided hiking trail around the farm, plus an observation beehive, play area and, of course, ice cream, fruit slushies, apple cider and doughnuts.

Carrigan Farms

Area: Mooresville, NC
Admission: $14 (apple- or pumpkin picking experiences)
Reservations: Yes

Fifth-generation Carrigan Farms has been a family go-to for pick-your-own experiences, plus swimming in the summer and tractor-drawn apple orchard hayrides since 1975. Pumpkin patches are open through October and trips to the patch by shuttle are roughly an hour and include a stop at the petting zoo! On select nights in October and the first week of November, get your heart racing when the 275-acre farm is transformed into a terrifying trail for Scarrigan Farms (must be 12 years old to participate).

Hodges Family Farm

Area: North Charlotte
Admission: No, but parking is $5 on Saturdays and Sundays
Reservations: No

This family-owned farm has been in business for over 100 years. In addition to “you pick” pumpkins each October, they offer hayrides, a summer concert series, obstacles courses and farm tours year-round.

Howard Family Farm

Area: Harmony, North Carolina
Admission: No
Reservations: No

Find enough produce for your entire feast at Howard Family Farm. Just an hour outside of Charlotte, this farm regularly sells its seasonal produce from corn to beans to squash. You can pick your own strawberries and pumpkins when in season in addition to a “you pick” flower field, and in the fall you can try your hand at navigating the corn maze.

Hunter Farm

Area: South Charlotte
Admission: $10 for hayrides which includes a small pumpkin
Reservations: Yes

In partnership with The Catawba Lands Conservancy, much of this family farm has been placed under an easement, protecting it from future development. This enables the family farm, complete with an on-site petting zoo, to focus on fostering a place for the community to see a working farm and buy local produce.

Lineberger’s Farm

Area: Dallas
Admission: No
Reservations: No

There is tons to do at this family-owned farm including hayrides, a playground, a corn pit and a mini-maze. In addition to their “you pick” offerings, there is also a farm stand that sells local goods like jellies, baked goods and homemade slushies.

Patterson Farm

Area: Mount Ulla, NC (near Mooresville)
Admission: $16 on weekends, $12 on weekday mornings;$14 on weekday afternoons for Fall Fun on the Farm; Children under 2 are free; Season passes available
Reservations: Yes

Since 1919, the Patterson family has brought their personal touch to the farming business. Today, they grow over 200 acres of tomatoes, 120 acres of peppers, 55 acres of strawberries, and other produce including squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, corn and more, sold at the farm market (which includes online shopping and curbside pickup) near the pick-your-own fields. Fall Fun on the Farm includes a visit to Pawpaw Carl’s playground and barnyard, corn maize, the pumpkin patch and more activities. Pumpkins are not included in admission but are available for purchase. Round out your trip with a visit to their ice cream shop, with homemade ice cream in seasonal flavors. Each winter the fourth-generation farmers pride themselves on the 15,000 beautiful holiday poinsettias grown each year.

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard

Area: Hendersonville, NC
Admission: No
Reservations: No

Pick your own apples, zinnias, pumpkins and sunflowers at this 70-acre, fourth-generation working farm and orchard, situated among the rolling hills of nearby Hendersonville, North Carolina. In the fall, the farm offers 21 varieties of apples including Honeycrisp and Stayman. Shoot the apple cannon, play on the jump pad, hop on a tractor-pulled wagon ride with farmers Rita and Mike Stepp, or meander through the corn maze – you just might bump into the Corn Queen! On weekends, don’t leave the farm without trying an apple cider doughnut.

Windy Hill Orchard - Photography by Cody Hughes

Windy Hill Orchard

Area: York, SC
Admission: $7 for online reservation and pre-purchased 1/4 peck bag
Reservations: Yes for apple picking and tickets for special events

Hayrides, apple cider doughnuts, live music, scarecrow making and a hard cider bar are a few fun highlights at Windy Hill Orchard. This family-owned apple operation of Fritz and Catherine Gusmer is open every fall through the holiday season for pick-your-own apples, specializing in sweet Stayman Winesaps. After all the apples are picked, the 29th Annual Apple Harvest Festival takes place to celebrate the season’s end.

Wise Acres Organic Farms

Area: Indian Trail, NC
Admission: $3 per person
Reservations: Yes

Wise Acres is USDA certified organic farm offering year-round “you pick” experiences including strawberries, pumpkins and sunflowers. The experience is family friendly with hayrides, barrel trains, and on-site pizzeria, Wise Pie Pizza Kitchen. A ticket for two hours of farm time includes a wagon ride, walk through the hemp maze, scavenger hunt and time for the kids to visit with farm animals and play in the pumpkin patch.