Fresno County Fruit Trail opens 23rd season with fresh harvests

Fresh strawberries, blueberries and cherries set the tone as Fresno County opened the 23rd season of its Fruit Trail at Grace Barn in Del Rey, a reminder that the county’s farm economy still sells best when visitors can taste it at the source.

The route is built as a self-guided drive through Fresno County farmland, with stops where visitors can buy produce directly from the farmers who grew it. At the start of this season, KMPH/FOX26 said the stands and stores were already stocked with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines, a lineup that gives families an easy way to turn a day trip into a fresh-produce run.

That mix matters for more than the pantry. The Fruit Trail gives small farm vendors a retail channel that depends on foot traffic and impulse purchases, while also pulling drivers into Del Rey and other rural communities that rarely see the same tourism attention as Fresno’s urban core. The county’s 2026 message invited both first-time and returning visitors to experience the bounty produced by Fresno County family farmers, and Visit California describes the drive as a trip through one of the world’s most productive farming regions.

The kickoff itself had a local-government and farm-bureau stamp. A county video posted May 8 named Supervisor Buddy Mendes, Melissa Cregan, Ryan Jacobson and members of the Fruit Trail among those taking part in the launch. Mid Valley Times listed the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. at Grace Barn, 4219 S. Highland Ave. in Del Rey, tying the celebration to a specific spot in the south county countryside rather than a generic promotion.

The season also carries a share-worthy bit of longevity: the Fruit Trail is now in its 23rd year, which places its start in the early 2000s and shows how long Fresno County has leaned on roadside agriculture as a tourism draw. The county says many stops stay open year-round with seasonal produce, dried fruit, nuts and gift ideas, so the trail is not limited to one narrow harvest window.

For a weekend drive, the simplest plan is to start in Del Rey, follow the self-guided route and build the trip around stands with the season’s freshest fruit on display. In a county where agriculture is both industry and identity, the Fruit Trail remains a direct line from the field to the customer, and from rural roads to local revenue.