Photo above: The John Marsh House, a stone house completed in 1856, at Marsh Creek State Park near Brentwood, California, August 2012. Robin Mayoff (RHM Images), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pick your own fruit, shop the Saturday farmers market downtown, and hike the oak hills at Round Valley. Those are Brentwood’s big three, and the farm season runs from spring cherries to fall pumpkins.
Here’s what’s open, where it is, and what’s on the calendar from late September 2026 on.
Where can I pick my own fruit in Brentwood?
At Brentwood’s working farms. Harvest Time in Brentwood, a nonprofit group of local farmers, keeps a directory of u-pick farms, farm stands and wineries, sorted by crop, and calls Brentwood the “U-Pick Capital” (Harvest Time in Brentwood, harvestforyou.com, checked September 25, 2026). Use it to see which farms have what before you drive out.
Seasons move with the crop. Two farms’ own pages give a feel for the year:
- G&S Farms runs cherry u-pick from early May to mid June, then a pumpkin u-pick and corn maze in the fall (G&S Farms, Seasonal U-Picks page, checked September 25, 2026).
- Smith Family Farm, on the northeastern edge of Brentwood, lists its Pumpkin Harvest season from September 26 to November 1, with a u-pick pomegranate orchard open weekends in October from 10 am to 4 pm. Its fruit stand is open daily, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (Smith Family Farm, home page, checked September 25, 2026).
Farm hours change with weather and harvest. Check the farm’s own page the morning you go.
When is the Brentwood farmers market?
Every Saturday, year-round, 8 am to noon, at 655 First Street downtown. The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association runs it in partnership with the City of Brentwood, and street parking is available (PCFMA, Brentwood Farmers’ Market page, checked September 25, 2026).
It’s a good way to learn the farm calendar. The growers at the market list crops from cherries and apricots to pomegranates, persimmons and walnuts across the year (same page).
Where can I hike near Brentwood?
Round Valley Regional Preserve, at 19450 Marsh Creek Road. From Brentwood, take Walnut Boulevard south to Marsh Creek Road and turn right. It’s 2,191 acres of grassland and oak woodland with trails for hiking, horseback riding and biking. Parking is free. Dogs are not allowed (East Bay Regional Park District, Round Valley page, checked September 25, 2026).
Go early. The park district warns that summer heat there often tops 100 degrees. Hours are 8 am to 7 pm through November 5, then 8 am to 5 pm from November 6 through December 31 (same page).
Two things to know before you go, both posted September 25, 2026 on the Round Valley page:
- The Hardy Canyon Trail is closed until further notice because of storm damage.
- The backpack camp has no working water supply until further notice. Bring your own.
What events are coming up at Round Valley?
Three are on the park district’s calendar, all with registration required (EBRPD, Round Valley page, Upcoming Events, checked September 25, 2026):
| Date | Event | Where it starts |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 7, 2026, 9 am | Vasco Caves Tours | Round Valley, Brentwood |
| Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9 am | Vasco Caves Tours | Round Valley, Brentwood |
| Saturday, November 28, 2026, 8:30 am | Fall in the Valley | Round Valley, Brentwood |
The Vasco Caves tours are the only way in. Vasco Caves Regional Preserve has no public access. Guided groups stage at Round Valley and ride a shuttle bus into the preserve, known for its rock outcrops. Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2, then 3, for tour details (EBRPD, Vasco Caves page, checked September 25, 2026).
Can I visit the John Marsh House?
Not right now. California State Parks says Marsh Creek State Park, 3,659 acres that include the historic stone John Marsh Home, “is not open to the public at this time.” Only the Round Valley staging area on the property is open, run with the East Bay Regional Park District (California State Parks, Marsh Creek State Park page, checked September 25, 2026).
The John Marsh Historic Trust posts its own programs at johnmarshhouse.com.
Can I walk or bike across town?
Yes, on the Mokelumne Trail. Its bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Highway 4, 850 feet long and 16 feet wide, opened in March 2024 and closed the gap the highway had cut in the trail (CCTA news release, March 2024, checked September 25, 2026).
For longer rides, Round Valley allows bikes on some trails, with restrictions posted by the park district.
What about Cornfest?
Brentwood Cornfest is the town’s corn festival. Its website had no dates posted for the next one when we checked on September 25, 2026, so watch brentwoodcornfest.com.
Can I get to these without a car?
Some of them. The farmers market is downtown, and PCFMA points riders to Tri Delta Transit (PCFMA page). Tri Delta route 373 stops downtown at 2nd Street and Oak Street (Tri Delta Transit, route 373 timetable, checked September 25, 2026). The farms and Round Valley are out on rural roads, so plan to drive.
Questions people also ask
What is Brentwood, CA known for?
Farms. Harvest Time in Brentwood, a nonprofit of local farmers, calls Brentwood the U-Pick Capital and keeps a directory of u-pick farms, stands and wineries by crop. There’s also a year-round Saturday farmers market at 655 First Street, run by PCFMA with the city, and Round Valley Regional Preserve on Marsh Creek Road for hiking, per sources checked September 25, 2026.
When is pumpkin season in Brentwood?
Fall. Smith Family Farm lists its Pumpkin Harvest from September 26 to November 1, with weekend pomegranate u-pick in October, on its home page checked September 25, 2026. G&S Farms also runs a fall pumpkin u-pick and corn maze. Hours depend on weather and crops, so check each farm’s page the day you go.
Is Round Valley open, and do dogs go there?
Round Valley Regional Preserve at 19450 Marsh Creek Road is open 8 am to 7 pm through November 5, then 8 am to 5 pm, with free parking, per the East Bay Regional Park District on September 25, 2026. Dogs are not allowed. The Hardy Canyon Trail is closed for storm damage, and the backpack camp has no water.
How do I tour Vasco Caves?
Only by reservation on a guided tour. The East Bay Regional Park District says Vasco Caves has no public access, and tour groups stage at Round Valley in Brentwood before taking a shuttle in. Tours are listed for November 7 and November 14, 2026. Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2, then 3, for details.
Your next step
Want to see how a Brentwood home fits the way you spend a Saturday? Tell us what matters, whether that’s the market, the trails or the farms, and we’ll pull homes and drive times that fit. Talk to a Brentwood agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Brentwood: Is Brentwood a good place to live? · Brentwood market update · Search Brentwood homes · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Brentwood, CA. Updated September 25, 2026.
Sources
- Harvest Time in Brentwood, home page and U-Pick Farms directory: harvestforyou.com (checked September 25, 2026)
- G&S Farms, Seasonal U-Picks: gsfarms.net/pumpkin-patch-corn-maze (checked September 25, 2026)
- Smith Family Farm, home page: smithfamilyfarm.com (checked September 25, 2026)
- Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, Brentwood Farmers’ Market: pcfma.org/brentwood (checked September 25, 2026)
- East Bay Regional Park District, Round Valley Regional Preserve: ebparks.org/parks/round-valley (checked September 25, 2026)
- East Bay Regional Park District, Vasco Caves Regional Preserve: ebparks.org/parks/vasco-caves (checked September 25, 2026)
- California State Parks, Marsh Creek State Park: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=525 (checked September 25, 2026)
- CCTA, release on the opening of the Mokelumne Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing, March 2024: ccta.ca.gov/news (checked September 25, 2026)
- Tri Delta Transit, route 373 timetable: trideltatransit.com (checked September 25, 2026)
- Brentwood Cornfest: brentwoodcornfest.com (checked September 25, 2026)