Bow: Blueberry Farm and Fall Festival

For a stay in Bow, agriculture, fall events, and regional landscapes and routes offer different points of reference. The season also makes a difference: blueberry picking is limited to specific days in August, while the Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms takes place during the fall harvest.

Blueberry Traditions in Bow

Bow Hill Blueberries is home to the oldest family-owned blueberry farm in the agriculture-focused Skagit Valley. It was founded in 1947. The farm’s long history and the varieties it grows give the subject of agriculture a concrete connection: these include the heritage blueberry varieties Rubel, Stanley, Jersey, and Bluecrop. The farm was certified organic in 2011; this year refers to the certification date at that time.

U-pick at Bow Hill Blueberries is available only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in August. Exact dates and availability may vary by harvest year. If you are planning a visit, check the information for that year in advance. This helps distinguish the limited picking window from the farm’s longer history.

Farm Visits During the Fall Harvest

The Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms is a recurring fall event featuring participating family farms in Bow. The 2026 program page describes the festival as celebrating its 28th year. The two-day program gives visitors the opportunity to tour participating farms at their own pace during the fall harvest. Activities may vary from year to year and depending on the weather; the dates for the specific event are what matter when planning.

The festival experience includes free samples and agricultural products to take home. What individual farms offer may vary. This makes the festival a different experience from blueberry picking in August: the focus here is the fall harvest season, with visits to several participating farms.

The visitor program at Taylor Shellfish Farms offers insights into shellfish farming and the protection of clean waters. Visitors can meet shellfish farmers and view photos and educational exhibits. Taylor Shellfish Farms’ facilities also include 2,000 acres of clam beds in the intertidal areas of Samish Bay, as well as an oyster bar and shellfish market in a historic oyster processing facility on Chuckanut Drive.

Coast and Route History

West of Bow is Bay View State Park. The 25-acre campground has 1,285 feet of saltwater shoreline on Padilla Bay. These figures describe two different features of the park: its area and the length of its shoreline.

The Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway offers a different regional perspective. It follows State Route 11 between the Skagit Valley and Bellingham. The road opened in 1916 and is considered one of Washington’s earliest scenic highways. By contrast, Bay View State Park focuses on the shores of Padilla Bay, while Chuckanut Drive highlights the history of a scenic route and its course between the two regions mentioned.

Shellfish from Samish Bay

At Samish Gold Seafoods, the shellfish on offer come exclusively from Samish Bay, where they are farmed and harvested. The selection at Samish Gold Seafoods includes fresh shellfish such as oysters, clams, shrimp, and prawns, as well as fish. Together with the insights into shellfish farming at Taylor Shellfish Farms, this adds a maritime perspective to the agricultural visitor experiences.

The seasonal highlights make it easy to distinguish when to visit: picking is available in August, while the festival takes place in the fall during harvest season. Check the dates, harvest information, and festival offerings for the specific visit you are planning. You can then plan your trip around what matters most to you: the blueberry farm, the fall program, the coastal landscape, or the history of the scenic route.

Discover more destinations: Mount Vernon, Burlington, La Conner, Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes.

For the broader travel overview: Skagit County.