Strawberry Festival at Messick's Farm

Strawberry Festival at Messick's Farm Market

If your kids have only ever seen strawberries in a plastic clamshell, this is worth the drive. Messick's Farm runs their annual Strawberry Festival on a single Saturday in mid-May, timed to peak picking season. You get actual strawberry fields you can walk into and pick from, plus hayrides, a barrel train, and a candy launch (kids stand in a field and catch candy, it's exactly as chaotic as it sounds).

The farm is about an hour from the DC beltway, out in Fauquier County. It's a real working farm, not a theme park, which means the experience is straightforward and unpolished in a good way. Kids get muddy, eat berries straight off the plant, and ride around on tractors. Bring a change of clothes and plan for a half-day trip. The berries you pick are sold by weight, and they taste completely different from store-bought ones.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Go early in the morning: The fields are less picked-over and it's cooler for kids. By noon the sun is strong and the best berries are gone. 10am arrival is ideal.
• ✓Bring a change of clothes for kids: Strawberry juice stains everything. Dress them in clothes you won't cry about. Old t-shirts and shorts work best.
• ✓Wear closed-toe shoes: The fields are uneven dirt and can be muddy. Sandals and flip-flops are a bad call. Old sneakers or rain boots are your friend.
• ✓Bring sunscreen, hats, and water: There's limited shade in the picking fields. May sun in Virginia is no joke, especially between 11am and 2pm.
• ✓Check their Facebook for weather updates: Picking depends on field conditions. If it rained heavily the day before, they may close the fields. Check the morning-of post before driving out.
• ✓Plan a half-day trip: Between the drive (1 hour each way) and the activities (2-3 hours), this is a morning-into-early-afternoon outing. Pack car snacks for the ride home, your kids will crash.