Illinois · Berries & small fruit
Typically early June to mid-July, with peak mid-June through late June.
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Southern Illinois runs about two weeks ahead of the Chicago-area orchards.
From early June — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
mid-June through late June — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Through mid-July — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
about 6 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
Pick with stems attached and keep buckets shallow — stemless cherries weep and need eating within a day. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (mid-June through late June) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.
Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.
Cherry peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:
In Illinois, the cherry season typically runs early June to mid-July, with peak availability mid-June through late June. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
Aim for peak: mid-June through late June. An early trip around early June gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for jam-and-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.
about 6 weeks end to end — early June to mid-July. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.