Whenever visiting my grandparents at their Maine home in the summer, we would often head out back to pick blueberries. No, they weren’t blueberry farmers — actually, they were apple farmers. Instead, they had a patch of low bush blueberries growing naturally in their backyard. Even our dog Misty got into picking and eating these wild blueberries.
What you need to know about Maine blueberries
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that my grandparents had blueberries in their yard. The wild blueberry is Maine’s official state berry. It’s one of the reasons that the Kennebunk New Year’s Eve celebration includes a blueberry drop!
Also, blueberries “grow wild in the thin glacial soils and harsh northern climate of Maine — the very same place where Mother Nature put them more than 10,000 years ago,” says The Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA), a trade association of growers and processors of wild blueberries from Maine and Canada.
Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend
Since 2021, each year in early August, Maine celebrates Wild Blueberry Weekend. In 2024 it will be August 3-4. Primarily, this weekend offers people the chance to visit Maine blueberry farmers throughout the state.
None are in Southern Maine, but if you’re looking to take a day trip, you can find farms in the following counties:
- Franklin
- Lincoln
- Kennebec
- Knox
- Penobscot
- Piscataquis
- Waldo
- Washington
WBANA created an interactive map for Wild Blueberry Weekend showing where you can visit farms, buy wild blueberries, or enjoy food and drink at restaurants and eateries featuring wild Maine blueberries, such as the Holy Donut. Note: many of these restaurants are in and around the Portland area.
More about Maine blueberries
Here are additional fun facts about the state fruit, plus answers to some of the most common questions about blueberries.
In 2011, the Maine State Legislature designated blueberry pie, made with wild Maine Blueberries, as the official state dessert.
With over 98% of the nation’s low bush blueberries harvested in Maine this fruit has become one of Maine’s larger exports.
When are blueberries in season?
Each year, farmers harvest wild blueberries from July through August. Here are tips on how to make summer berries last. Also, when you go to pick blueberries, consider creative ways to use them, such as making homemade blueberry syrup.
Where can I pick blueberries in Southern Maine?
According to our research, here are the farms in York and Cumberland Counties that let you pick your own or at least buy them fresh or that sell their own blueberry products:
- Ives Berry Farm, Saco
- Lavigne’s Strawberry Farm, Sanford
- Sturgeon Creek Farm, Eliot (they also sell farm-fresh Thanksgiving turkeys)
During blueberry season, you can also find them at Maine farmers markets.
Finally, if you walk the Kennebunk Plains, off Route 99, you may be able to find blueberries growing in the wild there for picking.
How can I freeze blueberries?
Here are the steps to take on how to freeze fresh blueberries.
Final thoughts on Maine blueberries
If we’ve missed anything about this topic, including where you can go to pick your own, please post a comment and let us know.