September is the Rogue Valley's payoff
Every region has a season that explains it, and for the Rogue Valley, September is that season. The pears that built Medford's reputation are coming off the trees, apple orchards open for u-picking, the growers market is in full swing at Hawthorne Park, and the wineries are bringing in their harvest. It is the month when the valley's working landscape shows up at your table.
And you do not have to travel far for any of it. From 612 S Ivy St, the orchards, the market, and the wine country are all short drives, which makes harvest a weekend ritual instead of a trip.
Pears: the crop that put the valley on the map
Oregon ranks second in the nation in pear production, and the Rogue Valley is one of the two regions that carry that weight. The harvest starts with Bartlett pears in late summer and early September, then moves through the winter varieties, Anjou, Bosc, and Comice, into October. The Comice is the famous Harry & David gift pear, a late-season fruit that this valley has been shipping around the world for generations.
To watch it happen up close, the orchards around Medford are open in their own ways: Hubler Orchards on Serenity Drive, Hillcrest Orchard on Hillcrest Road, and Vaughn Farm and Orchard just north in Central Point all grow the region's pears, and orchard stands put the fresh fruit within reach all season.
U-pick apples at Leonard Orchard
For a hands-on afternoon, Leonard Apple Orchard at 2171 Ross Lane in Medford is the classic choice. It is a small, family-run u-pick orchard, open for picking roughly September through October, with Gravenstein, Gala, Golden Delicious, Newtown Pippin, and Fuji ripening in sequence through the season, Fuji and Newtown Pippin at their best in October.
A few practical notes from regulars: apples run about fifty cents a pound, the orchard takes cash or check only, and you bring your own containers. Days and hours vary with the weather and the crop, so calling ahead at 541.772.2389 or joining the orchard's email list is the reliable way to confirm before you drive out.
The growers market, every Thursday at Hawthorne Park
The Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market runs its Medford market on Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Hawthorne Park on the corner of Hawthorne and East Jackson Streets, across from the Medford Center. The 2026 season runs from March 5 through November 19, so the market is open through September, October, and well into fall.
It is the region's largest and most-loved market, and it accepts SNAP, EBT, WIC, and the Senior and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Programs, which makes fresh local food accessible to more families. One note for 2026: the Growers & Crafters Saturday market is downtown in Ashland this season, so the Thursday stop at Hawthorne Park is the Medford one to put on the calendar.
Wine country: harvest is underway
Fall is also crush season. In the Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley wine regions, grapes are handpicked from late August through early November, peaking in September and October, and the warmer southern Oregon climate starts the vintage earlier than up in the Willamette Valley.
Within a short drive of 612 S Ivy St you will find RoxyAnn Winery and DANCIN Vineyards in Medford, Ledger David Cellars and Rellik Winery in Central Point, Valley View Winery and Crooked Barn Vineyards on the Applegate side, and urban tasting rooms right in town, including Margo's Wine Shop and The Urban Cork in Medford and Anchor Valley Wine Bar in Jacksonville. Harvest is a busy time at the wineries, so call ahead to confirm tasting hours; many pour guests right through the crush.
Assemble your own fall afternoon
A good September day from south Medford practically builds itself. Start with a u-pick bucket of apples at Leonard Orchard, swing by the Thursday market at Hawthorne Park for honey, produce, and baked goods, and close the afternoon at a winery tasting room while the valley turns gold.
If the kids (or the kid in you) want more, Pheasant Fields Farm in Medford runs its harvest festival on weekends from late September through October, with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides, and a haunted maze as the season builds toward Halloween.
A note on dates and details
Harvest is a living calendar, and the small farms run on weather, not print. Orchard days and hours, market dates, and winery tasting schedules all shift from year to year and week to week. The reliable move is the same for all of them: call ahead or check the business's own listing before you go.
Everything in this post is real and current as of this writing, but it is written as a guide to what the season looks like, not as a fixed schedule. A quick phone call turns any of these outings from a hope into a plan.
A home base for harvest season
Living where the food grows is one of the quiet pleasures of Medford, and 612 S Ivy St sits in the middle of it: a short walk to downtown, minutes from Bear Creek Park, and a short drive from the orchards, the market, and the vineyards. The fenced backyard with its raised garden beds is a natural spot to keep the harvest going at home.
If the idea of being this close to it all sounds good, I would love to show you around the neighborhood and the house. Call, email, or book a 30-minute call anytime.