MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Life will get a little bit sweeter this weekend once Carrigan Farms opens up strawberry picking on Saturday.
For those familiar, the farm's strawberry field in Mooresville opens for people to come and pick their own strawberries every spring. It's open on select days that are listed on the farm's website, but no reservation is needed. The peak picking time will be in early May -- from May 4 through May 11.
It costs $6 for each quart-sized container, but people who pick a four-quart container will pay $18. People can only use cash or check to pay as no credit or debit cards are accepted.
In case you don't want the experience of picking the strawberries yourself, pre-picked strawberries are available, too, at $20 for a four-quarter container.
It will be fun for the whole family, as a food truck will be on the property selling strawberry shortcake and slushies.
For those who want to pick something a little more savory than sweet, asparagus picking is also available which costs $6.50 per one-pound bundle.
Inclimate weather or even the availability of the strawberries may impact whether the farm is open, so checking the website before going is strongly advised.
Once strawberry picking is over, more fun continues at Carrigan Farms with open swim opportunities at the farm's rock quarry starting in mid-May.
Strawberry season at Carrigan Farms
Carrigan Farms has been around since 1902 and has been in the same farm family for more than a century.
“My husband’s father is 93 years old, and he still loves to use his riding lawnmower," Kelly Carrigan told WCNC Charlotte in 2021. "Our son is a student at NC State majoring in horticulture, so he plans to come back, so it’s truly a family operation.”
The strawberry fields are located right off Highway 150, across from the school. Many families make visiting the strawberry fields an annual tradition.
“We get people that come out season after season,” Kelly Carrigan said. “They dress their kids in really cute outfits with strawberries all over them. I mean, just imagine your 9- or 10-month-old is just starting to stand up, and they’re pushing on this black plastic, covered in strawberry juice. It’s cute.”
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