In an attempt to get out of the house over the weekend I scrolled through the Raising Arizona Kids calendar of events and found the Strawberry Festival at Mortimer Farms in Dewey, Arizona. Strawberries are easily my favorite fruit so we packed up the three kids and we hit the road. We visit Mortimer Farms every year for the Pumpkin Festival (2021 will be our 7th year attending!) but I’m ashamed to say we had never been to any of the other events.
Valentine’s at the Farm
Easter Festival
Blackberry Festival
Sweet Corn FestivalÂ
Sunflower FestivalÂ
Barn Dance
Christmas Festival
Only about an hour to an hour and a half away from Phoenix (for us, an hour and 15 minutes) this quaint family owned farm is the perfect escape from the bustle of the big city. Â You enter in through the Country Store to purchase admission tickets ($14/person, kids under 3 are free) and eye some of the homemade fudge, treats, produce, jams, salsas, and more.
After chatting with the super friendly staff we made our way onto the farm and the kids were immediately drawn to the chickens and goats. (Mom tip: bring a few quarters so you can feed the chickens). We made our way through the farm and the kids swung on ginormous tires, ‘horses’ made from recycled tires, played on the slides, jumped off some energy on ‘the blob’, and even raced down the zip lines. Â We were also ecstatic to see that the Mortimer family added a ropes course for the kids to play on and we had so much fun!
After we wore the kids out and ate some delicious farm fresh food at The Windmill Kitchen (expect some long lines but it’s worth it!) we moved on to their self-pick strawberry fields. I recommend going earlier in the season because the fields can be pretty well-picked by the end of summer (but we still came home with PLENTY of strawberries at $3/lb). If you have the time there are also blackberries, watermelon, peppers, cucumbers, kale, and so much more. And we heard next year we’ll be able to pick apples and peaches! Here’s the full list of fruits and vegetables available.
Before we left we made sure to take some pictures in front of the sunflowers and commemorate another successful outing with the three boys!
And, when you come home with pounds of strawberries here are some of our favorite recipes to make!
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Jam
Strawberry Tart
Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Strawberry Cake
Strawberry Crisp
Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles
Plus they’re great in smoothies, dipped in nutella, or in oatmeal!
Looking for something savory for dinner? Try a Strawberry Spinach Salad, Strawberry Ricotta Crostini, or Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad.
August 22nd is the last day of the Strawberry Festival but the Sunflower Festival follows right behind it. Make sure to follow @caffeinatedmom on Instagram if you want to see more of our outings!
