 Well, this doesn't happen every year, but it's happening now. It's local sweet cherries, and they're going to be available for Cherry Festival. Local grower Greg Williams tells the Leelanau Enterprise that crews will begin picking Benton sweet cherries Monday, and they'll be available at the Cedar Fruit Stand. Benton's ripen about a week before other varieties of sweet cherries. In the years past, Cherry Festival has had to import this fruit from Washington State as cherry harvest normally starts in mid to late July.