Sweet Mary’s Cherries — New neighborhood fruit stand pops up on Capitol Hill’s 15th Ave E

(Image: Sweet Mary’s Cherries)

A Sweet Mary’s Cherries stand — On Capitol Hill, Sweet Mary’s is moving into a former bookshop (Image: Sweet Mary’s Cherries)

There’s a new neighborhood fruit stand on 15th Ave E bringing some of the goodness of the Yakima Valley to Capitol Hill.

A seasonal pop-up of Sweet Mary’s Cherries featuring fresh fruits and other goodies like hanging planter baskets full of flowers is now resident in the space where Haunted Burrow Books finished up its temporary stay on the street in June.

With the QFC block redevelopment still on hold with developer Hunters Capital waiting for economic conditions around construction and financing to improve, the Capitol Hill developer has been diligent in finding new short-term ventures to be part of the block. The neighboring old grocery lives on, in the meantime, as the also temporary home for the Punk Rock Flea Market.

The new fresh fruit shop is part of Sweet Mary’s seasonal forays into the city. The Davila family also hosts a pick-up stand in a Wedgwood Christmas tree lot and another along Lake City Way during the summer.

CHS is told Sweet Mary’s picks its orchards in the early morning and drives the prized stone fruit to Seattle daily. Now, they’ve added a Capitol Hill stop to the route as they stock the shelves of the temporary shop.

Sweet Mary’s focuses on premium Pacific Northwest Bing and Rainier cherry varieties during the summer harvest season, typically selling them in bulk boxes ranging from 4 lb to 10 lb options. They’ve also offered apples outside of the peak cherry season and other treats like fresh cider. You’ll find more choices at the 15th Ave E shop along with a rotation of produce and farm good like the flower baskets.

How long Sweet Mary’s will be part of the pop-up mix on 15th Ave E remains to be seen. The core season typically kicks off in late June and runs through July, moving very quickly depending on the weather and ripeness tracking at the orchard.

The harvest window is short and those cherries can sell out rapidly. Enjoy the fruits of Capitol Hill summer while you can.

Sweet Mary’s Cherries is now (temporarily) open at 430 15th Ave E. Watch @sweetmaryscherries for updates as the shop works out days and hours of business.

The blossoms of the Yakima Valley (Image: Sweet Mary’s Cherries)

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