MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan is nearing the end of its annual cherry season, and roadside stands have been popping up across the state.
“People up here needed cherries,” said Dale, better known as The Cherry Guy. “What better way to put a smile on somebody’s face as to hand them a sweet cherry?”
This month, passers-by may have seen The Cherry Guy set up along US-2 in Manistique, where he has been selling fresh, washed cherries sourced from Traverse City for years.
“Orchards downstate, they like people like me to come out here and set up roadside stands,” he said. “They make money off of it, and they’ve got excess product sometimes and you’ve got to move it. Everybody loves a cherry, and I’ve just got to make it available.”
Typically, cherry season starts around July 1 and lasts about 30 days.
“This year, it came in about 5 to 10 days late, but it’s taken us into the other season now,” said Dale. “It either comes in late or goes out early. It’s been a good season for us. The farmers definitely like it.”
Dale sells two varieties—Attika or Bing cherries and Queen Anne cherries.
“These are somewhat of a newer crop to Michigan,” he said of the Queen Annes. “Now that they’re coming up much stronger, I get more to bring up. When it started, I could only get maybe 100 pounds at the most, and that was only for two or three loads. Now I’m getting them just about every load, so people have better variety.”
Throughout a season, Dale brings four or five loads to the Upper Peninsula, each containing roughly 800 pounds of cherries. He partners with businesses in Manistique and Champion to sell them.
While there used to be quite a few roadside stands in the U.P., it has slowed down a bit in recent years.
“There was eight of us running it at one time, but that was before COVID,” Dale explained. “After that, everybody was gone.”
However, the demand for cherries has remained consistent.
“I don’t have to sell cherries; cherries sell themselves,” said Dale. “You get to meet all kinds of new people up here, and it puts a smile on people’s faces, so that’s what I go after.”
It is a taste of Lower Michigan for Upper Peninsula residents, as well as a taste of home for Dale, The Cherry Guy.
“I lived up here for a while,” Dale said. “My next load, I’ll bring my kayak up and fishing gear, and I’m going to spend a couple weeks. I just love it back here. The cherries are just a bonus for me.”
Those interested in purchasing cherries should look for The Cherry Guy in the parking lot of the BP at 1038 W Lakeshore Drive.
