Summer is Maine Wild Blueberry Season

A warm slice of blueberry pie. A spoonful of preserves on a buttered biscuit. A scoop of ice cream after a day by the water. In Maine, wild blueberries find their way into some of the sweetest moments of a visit. As the official state berry, it should come as no surprise that Maine produces nearly all of the country’s wild blueberries, with approximately 512 farms managing around 40,000 acres.

These small berries grow on low bushes across rocky barrens and hillsides, where acidic soils suit these hardy native plants. Their roots in the region reach back more than 10,000 years, to the landscape left behind by retreating glaciers. Unlike the neat rows of cultivated highbush blueberries—the kind you’ll often find in grocery stores—Maine’s commercial wild blueberry fields are managed where they grow naturally. While summer brings a bounty of fresh berries, many producers freeze them at their peak ripeness to bring a taste of Maine to even more kitchens.

A Living Wabanaki Tradition

For generations of Indigenous people who live on the land now known as Maine, wild blueberries have long been a source of food, medicine and dye. Their stewardship helped shape the barrens, as controlled burns encouraged new growth and reduced competing vegetation. That knowledge remains part of the foundation of Maine’s wild blueberry farming today.

Taste Maine’s Wild Blueberries: Desserts, Sauces & Treats

Start with the classics: flaky pie crust, purple-stained filling and, perhaps, a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting alongside it. At Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, blueberry pie is a fitting finish to a meal—or a perfectly good reason to stop in the first place.
For a taste to take home, Stonewall Kitchen turns wild Maine blueberries into jam and syrup made for toast, pancakes and leisurely breakfasts. On Deer Isle, Nervous Nellie’s makes Wild Maine Blueberry Preserves by hand. Another connection to the barrens comes from Swan’s Honey, whose wild blueberry liquid honey is produced in Downeast Maine’s blueberry fields. Spoon it over oatmeal or stir it into homemade granola.

No summer is complete with a specialty scoop from one of the many ice cream shops in Maine. Cool off with Gifford’s Maine Wild Blueberry Ice Cream, complete with a sweet blueberry swirl, or Gelato Fiasco’s Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp, which brings together vanilla gelato, Maine blueberries and oat streusel.

Raise a Glass: Blueberry Beer, Spirits and More

Maine’s beverage producers also give blueberries plenty of room to surprise. Shipyard Brewing Company’s Boatload Berry Wheat Ale pairs blueberry aroma with blackberry flavor, while Atlantic Brewing Company’s Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale brings wild Maine blueberries to an amber ale with a subtle fruit character. Barren’s Distillery—which sets up a summer cocktail bar at Brodis Blueberry Farm—offers both a blueberry-flavored vodka and a liqueur that melds wild Maine blueberries, maple syrup and bright notes of lemon and cinnamon.
For a surprising take on wine, Bluet makes a low-alcohol wine from Maine-grown wild blueberries, producing a crisp, dry bubbly that offers a fresh way to experience the harvest. Prefer a non-alcoholic drink? Try Maine Root’s Blueberry soda—or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a blueberry float.

Celebrate Blueberry Season with Summer Festivals

The summer harvest also brings blueberry celebrations across Maine. During Wild Blueberry Weekend, held annually on the first full weekend of August, participating farms and businesses invite visitors to explore the harvest through farm visits and blueberry-inspired food and drinks. The Machias Wild Blueberry Festival fills a Downeast weekend with food, crafts, entertainment and contests, while the Union Fair & Maine Wild Blueberry Festival add their own community traditions to the season. Check each event’s schedule as you plan your trip—and come hungry.

Blueberry Picking in Maine

For those who like to get hands-on, you’ll find plenty of places to pick your own blueberries, from roadside stops and preserves to Maine farms that open their acres for U-pick sessions. Peak blueberry season in Maine typically runs from late July through August, though it can vary with weather and location, so check with the farm before heading out. Spend a leisurely morning gathering the tiny blue berries, then take your harvest home for pancakes, muffins or a homemade pie.