Welcome to the heart of summer in Michigan, where vibrant fields of strawberries beckon to be picked and savored. The arrival of strawberry season is a time of excitement and delight for locals and visitors alike. The state’s fertile soil and favorable climate create the perfect conditions for these luscious red gems to flourish – especially at everyone’s favorite local farm, Bardenhagen Berries! 

Bardenhagen Berries has been sustainably growing produce on the Leelanau Peninsula for the past 150 years. In 2022, the family started offering behind-the-scenes tours of the working farm to commemorate the milestone. If you missed the opportunity to take part in a tour last year, don’t worry! Bardenhagen Berries is offering the tours again this year – and not just on Fridays! This year, the tours will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays through July 14th at 2:30 p.m. 

Aurora Cellars is continuing the collaboration with Bardenhagen Berries and will feature our signature wine cocktail, Strawberry Luminous Lemonade for those who attend the tour. The wine cocktail will be available in the tasting room on Wednesdays and Fridays starting on Friday, June 30th. We will also be featuring it, along with a Cheese Lady Dip Trio, during our July 2nd Cellar Sundays.

Typically, Michigan’s strawberry season usually starts around June 15 and continues until the first week of July. Bardenhagen Berries picked their first crop of strawberries for the summer over Father’s Day weekend. Pam Bardenhagen believes it is going to be a short season – 14 to 20 days – and they won’t make it until the 4th of July weekend.