It was another beautiful year for sweet cherries at Spring Valley Orchard!
We were thrilled to see everyone who made it out and enjoyed the lovely weather and harvest this year. The 2024 cherry season was short and undeniably sweet at just three weeks long (May 23–June 14).
If you don’t want to miss next year’s sweet cherries, like us on Facebook and sign up for emails. As soon as we know anything about the 2025 season, that’s where you’ll hear it first!
And if you can’t get enough of the season’s farm-fresh fruit, visit our sister orchards, Carter Mountain Orchard and Chiles Peach Orchard, for pick-your-own fun through the fall.
“We had a blast yesterday morning picking out the very plump and sweet cherries! Oh my, been coming here 4 years in a row! We love Spring Valley Orchard…”
— Akis R.-A., Facebook user
“Cherries Galore… Picked yesterday morning. Simple, updated parking processes made an always delightful experience even more fluid. Canning today!”
— Christina N., Facebook user
“We picked some delicious cherries in Afton this past weekend. Highly recommend!”
— Katie F., Facebook user
“We had so much fun cherry pickin’ yesterday at Spring Valley Orchard! Along with our big bucket of sweet cherries, we sipped on yummy cherry slushies on the ride home.”
— Eileen D., Facebook user
Photos courtesy of Virginia Specialty Food Association
Sweet cherries are ripe early this year at Spring Valley Orchard! Now is the perfect time to come enjoy delicious pick-your-own cherries, or just savor the good weather out here in Afton with refreshing cherry slushies and apple cider donuts.
Kicking off the season on Thursday, May 23, 2024, Spring Valley Orchard will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM every weekday and from 9 AM to 5 PM on the weekends. Come quick though, cherry season won’t last long! The retail market and picnic area are free to visit with convenient onsite parking.
To enter the orchard and pick your own sweet cherries, you’ll need an Orchard Pass for any visitors 2 or older. Orchard Passes are $5/person, and available for purchase online or onsite while availability lasts.
Before picking, you’ll pre-pay based on container size (minimum one container for every two people):
“Some of the most gorgeous, sweetest cherries you’ll ever eat… I’ve been two years now & I plan to go every spring to pick cherries for as long as I possibly can! Everyone has been friendly, it’s absolutely beautiful up there, a lovely drive! I’m really looking forward to cherry season 2024!”
That’s a wrap on the 2023 cherry picking season at Spring Valley Orchard!
Thank you to everyone who visited our family-run Afton orchard for sweet cherry picking. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to next year!
“The cherries I got were the best I’ve ever had!!! Thank you so much – See you next year!”
— Leslie B., Facebook user
“We went on a weekday morning early in the season and there were other families with little kids, so our toddler was in good company. Lots of gorgeous sweet red cherries ripe for the picking, some even low enough for little ones to pick.”
— Natascha P., Google review
“Picked 3 buckets yesterday and couldn’t believe we literally only had to pick from 3 trees!”
— Emily K., Facebook user
“This baby could not get enough. She had juice dripping down her face and would cry when we moved away from the trees.”
Spring Valley Orchard is open daily for pick-your-own sweet cherries!
We’re looking forward to a big, beautiful crop of sweet cherries this season! While our trees are bursting with fresh fruit, this special season typically lasts only three or four weeks. Visit us on weekdays for fewer crowds and more parking. It makes the picking experience that much sweeter!
We’re now picking yellow sweet cherries and expect red sweet cherries to ripen later this week. For the latest updates, like Spring Valley Orchard on Facebook.
With acres of cherry trees stretching across the valley, Spring Valley Orchard in Afton is a gorgeous spot to embrace Virginia’s natural beauty. Come see us daily for this short and sweet season!
The 2022 season at Spring Valley Orchard is officially in the books!
To all who came out to pick this year, thank you for your continued support. It is absolutely delightful to see excited cherry-pickers returning to our humble farm year after year!
“The grandkids are always excited to come pick. We had a great time.”
— Lisa J., Facebook user
“Picking cherries is so easy. At peak, the trees are absolutely dripping fruit. A friend and I stood at just one tree and picked pounds of cherries.”
— Jennifer B., Google review
“Great experience for the family 🍒 Highly recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
— Frances M., Facebook user
“It is a beautiful place to go – lots of fun and takes you to a nice quiet setting away from the hustle of the world.”
— Patricia C., Facebook user
We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome families and friends to our orchard for another year of unforgettable memories.
Stay connected on our Facebook page for updates on when we will open for sweet cherry picking next summer! To enjoy other orchard-fresh goods in the meantime, head on out to the stores at Carter Mountain Orchard and Chiles Peach Orchard.
Ain’t summer just peachy? With spring coming to a close—and strawberry season along with it—it’s time to enjoy another beautiful summer at the orchard!
Pick Your Own
Everything we do at the orchard is dependent on Mother Nature. View today’s picking availability or stay tuned on our Facebook page for updates.
Peaches
We are s-peach-less after trying the season’s first peaches. Come visit us for pick-your-own and ready-picked peaches!
Blueberries
Blueberry season is here! We’re hoping to enjoy this year’s harvest through the month of June. Gather your friends and family to come pick your own!
Flowers & Veggies
The summer sun is working hard to bring our flowers to full bloom. Soon enough, our flowers and vegetables will be ready for harvest!
Summer Happenings
Come Grow with Us
Our educational children’s program takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer. Each session includes storytime, a take-home craft or cooking project, seasonal pick-your-own fruit or veggie, and a snack.
Last year, we donated tips from our Farm Market & Bakery to the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department as a heartfelt thank you for their service. This year, we’re collecting donations for the Charlottesville and Albemarle division of Meals on Wheels!
Help us support this essential community organization by donating in our tip jar.
Notice anything new?
Our family of orchards has a brand new look! We’re excited to share our updated branding and will soon have even more reasons to raise a glass. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, at Spring Valley Orchard
Cherry season has arrived! Our short and sweet season typically runs for a few weeks in June, so c’mon out to Afton while the picking is good.
Spring Valley Orchard is currently open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. We recommend visiting during the week. For updates on picking availability, visit the Spring Valley Orchard page.
The weather is heating up, and so is the activity at Spring Valley Orchard! We’re excited to welcome visitors to our Afton orchard for cherry season.
Cherry season doesn’t last long, so make sure to join us before the sweet cherries are gone!
What to Expect
We are now open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Last picking is at 4:30 PM each day.
Sweet cherries grow best in mild temperatures with low humidity. After this spring’s dry, dry weather, we’re excited to share some of our best cherries yet! For tips on how to pick, keep, freeze, and pit your cherries, visit our sweet cherries page.
Cherry Recipes
There are so many ways to enjoy sweet cherries! Try one of these yummy recipes:
For a refreshing and delicious adult beverage, try Virginia Living’s Cherry Lemonade! This beverage is perfect for sitting out on the porch to watch the summer sunset.
We can’t get enough of Southern Living’s Fresh Cherry Salsa! Try this salsa with chips or in tacos with your favorite protein.
Our favorite thing about strawberries? We can enjoy them in so many different delicious ways! Try out one of these recipes with your fresh-picked strawberries, or enjoy the berries with a dollop of whipped cream.
Southern Living has a tasty Strawberry-Lemonade Jam recipe to take us straight from spring to summer! Enjoy this sweet and tart jam on your favorite breakfast pastry to start the day.
Don’t have a sweet tooth? Have no fear, Savor Virginia’sStrawberry and Goat Cheese Salad lets strawberries shine without the need for dessert. Try it for dinner with grilled shrimp or chicken for some added protein.
Strawberry-Lemonade Jam
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
Strawberry Salad
Last Season’s Favorites
It was great seeing so many smiling faces—even when covered in masks—last year. We can’t wait to welcome you to the orchard for more sweet memories this year!
Posted by :Ivy Group Developer On : April 16, 2021
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We’ve kicked off the 2021 season here in Crozet! Chiles Peach Orchard is now open daily.
Mondays–Saturdays: 9 AM–6 PM Sundays: 10 AM–6 PM
Warmer Weather Ahead
We loved seeing those pink peach blossoms in full bloom! They even looked beautiful covered in icicles when temperatures dropped down to the 20s. All is well in the orchard, though! We ran under-tree irrigation and operated wind machines during the worst of the nor-easter weather.
Berry Delicious
Strawberry season is so close we can taste it! We anticipate that strawberries will be juicy, ripe, and ready to pick in early May. Hopefully, some good weather might just ripen them sooner!
For more updates on our upcoming strawberry season, visit our Facebook page.
April’s Asparagus
Our asparagus is starting to come up, and limited quantities will be available starting in mid-April. Asparagus is one of our favorite veggies: try it shaved in a salad or roasted with bacon!
Get Ready to Raise a Glass
We can’t wait to release the brand new Carter Mountain wine label in the Wine Shop later this year!
A Carter Mountain Rosé, Chardonnay, and Petit Manseng are just a few of the locally-crafted vintages that you can look forward to.
Meet Ally Chiles
We are excited to announce our new store manager, Ally Chiles! A fifth-generation Chiles family member, Ally is excited to step into a more active role with the family orchards. Welcome to the management team, Ally!
Spring Goodies
As always, we’re excited to share our sweet treats with you! Visit our Farm Market & Bakery for mouthwatering ice cream, apple cider donuts, and frozen cider slushies.
They sell amazing apple cider donuts – literally melt in your mouth!
Posted by :Franziska Matiuk On : September 22, 2020
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Fall is nearly here and with it comes some of our favorite moments: dunking apple cider donuts into steaming cider, carving spooky jack-o-lanterns, and baking pies for the Thanksgiving table. While we’ll be doing things a little differently this year to protect our staff, visitors, and community during the pandemic, we’re grateful for the role our family farm plays in these traditions for our visitors.
We’re offering several ways to experience the orchard this fall, including ticketed entry for weekend apple and pumpkin picking, curbside pickup for Farm Market goods and specialty foods, and distanced shopping. To plan your visit, please read the options below.
We know that many of you may decide that you won’t be with us
this year. We will miss you, and we understand. We’ll be here when you are
ready to come back.
The orchard, of course, is an outdoor and well-ventilated setting, but please keep everyone’s visit enjoyable by keeping your face covering on unless eating or drinking, staying socially distanced, and limiting your visit to under 2 hours. Feel free to ask any of our staff members if you have any questions at all. Please review our visitor guidelines before arriving at the orchard.
10/22 UPDATE: Tickets required for weekend access through Sunday, Nov. 1.
To moderate crowd size, we will be operating at reduced capacity during our peak season. For this reason, we will require tickets for anyone planning to pick your own apples and/or pumpkins on weekends (Saturdays & Sundays).
No tickets are required to pick your own on Mondays–Fridays. (We highly recommend a weekday visit!)
The apple trees are loaded with fruit and the pumpkins are ripening nicely: if Mother Nature continues to smile on us, it’ll be a fantastic crop this year. Check out our PYO page to see what varieties are available and learn about our special picking policies.
Farm Market and Bold Rock Tap Room (Tickets Not Required)
Our Farm Market will be open for gifts and specialty food shopping, while the pavilion will offer apples, apple cider donuts, and some surprise treats (follow us on Facebook for updates).
The seasonal Bold Rock Tap Room will also be open.
Curbside Pickup
Stock up on Chiles Family Orchards apples, cider donuts, apple butter, and other favorites without leaving your car with our convenient curbside pickup, available 7 days/week.
It’s easy to place your order: pre-order on our online store or call us at 434.823.1583 and we’ll help you put together an order. We ask that you place orders by 5pm the day before to give our staff enough time to fill the order.
Not interested in visiting Chiles Peach Orchard but still want a taste of the orchard? Visit our hours page to see all of the local pickup and shipping options.
