Flathead Cherries- Festival, Seasons and Orchard - Flathead Lake's Fruit

You’ll see the signs and roadside stands all over as you drive in the Flathead Valley and near Glacier National Park:  “Huckleberries and Flathead Cherries Sold Here!”  Huckleberries get a little more publicity, but their domesticated rival, the Flathead Cherry, deserves some credit in the delicious category too.  Flathead Cherries are technically the Lambert variety of sweet cherries, but have their own unique flavor because of where they are grown.  Often colored in both yellow and light red, they have the perfect amount of sweetness combined with a savory flavor. 



As you can see the big three are: Cherries, Huckleberries and Jerky (not necessarily in that order)

Cherries? Montana in Montana?!  Isn't it too cold?

The Flathead Lake region is actually ideal for cherry production given its altitude, water access, soil and moderate climate.  "Cool evenings are our saving grace," said one Flathead cherry grower.  Apparently 40-50 degree evenings combined with warm days are ideal for extending the cherry growing season.  The early cherry growers must have realized this when they started growing cherries in the Flathead over 80 years ago in 1932!  The Flathead Cherry Growers Association has been around since 1935.  



Cherry Stand near West Glacier, MT

The Flathead typically produces between 3 and 5 million pounds of cherries every year with a high of 7 million.  There are 120 cherry growers in the Flathead.  This isn't close to the volume that Washington state produces, but Montana is among the top cherry producers in the nation.  

Where? When?  How?

The timing and volume of cherry crops are extremely weather dependent (this year the harvest was earlier because of the hot weather in June), but in general the cherry harvest occurs in mid July and lasts for 2-3 weeks.  Polson's Cherry Festival celebrating the beloved fruit is typically slated for mid to late July.  This event is a must attend if you are in the area!  Vendors line the streets and there are all manner of cherry related contests including: pie eating, stem tying and pit spitting.  

As stated in the beginning of this article, during the harvest you can buy them at almost any roadside stand anywhere near Flathead Lake and Glacier.  You can often get them in grocery stores and they are even sold at super markets in some northwest, midwest and southwest states.  

But if you want the most authentically Montana experience in obtaining your cherries, you can pick them right from the tree!  Hockaday Orchards, just south of Lakeside on the West shore of Flathead Lake will let you pick your own cherries at $1 a pound!  Or you can adopt your own tree at Point Caroline Orchards!


Article written by Matt Harrington, marketing specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out the Trip Advisor number 1 Kalispell hotel!