Highlights
- Attend summer festivals like the Luau and Dance of the Moonlight Jellies for unique items and experiences.
- Cook dishes requiring summer crops like Pink Cake or Radish Salad to maximize completion of cooking activities.
- Use summer crops for quests or save them for later to ensure completion and success in future tasks.
One of the main features of Stardew Valley is the changing seasons. These times will affect almost every avenue of gameplay, from which crops can be grown to which fish can be caught or what items can be found and foraged in the wild.
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Of these seasons, summer is arguably the most important. Many profitable crops can be grown in the summer, in which said crops are able to produce expensive artisan goods, different fish will appear, and overall, there are just a lot of things to do. Of course, when there is a lot to do, some things can slip a player's mind, so maximizing the season can be a great way to ensure completion of beneficial activities.
10 Attend Summer Festivals
Hard To Miss Events That Only Happen In Summer
Summer festivals aren't exactly easy to forget, as there are only two of them, but they can offer some unique items and great moments. There are three festivals in the summer: the Luau, the Trout Derby, and the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, all of which occur on the 11th, the 20th-21st, and the 28th, respectively. These festivals offer the chance to grab some items sold by Pierre
The attraction of these festivals are the main events. At the Luau, players must attempt to appease the Governor by adding their own ingredient to a community soup bowl, the Trout Derby allows players to catch Rainbow Trout in exchange for prizes, and the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies grants players the opportunity to watch the migration of glowing jellyfish.
9 Cook Dishes That Require Summer Crops
Knock Off Some Dishes In The Cooking Collection
It can be tempting to immediately sell any crops that have matured for money, but it can be worth saving some for cooking. If summer passes without ticking off some of the cooking collection, it might be another year until the opportunity arises again.
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Of the numerous cooking recipes that players can unlock, some dishes, such as the Pink Cake or the Radish Salad, require crops that can only be grown in summer, such as melon or radish. Unless players have access to the Greenhouse or Ginger Island, which is improbable in the first summer season, they won't be able to grow summer crops again for a while, making it worthwhile to use some in cooking.
8 Birthdays Of Characters
Increase Friendship With Characters Who Have Birthdays In Summer
Each season has its own calendar on the outside wall of Pierre's shop detailing important events. Mainly, the important events shown are the birthdays of the various characters, which can be to the advantage of the player if they are trying to increase their friendship.
Giving a character a gift they love on their birthday will increase the effects and grant a larger amount of friendship than on a day that's not their birthday. It can be so strong that it will increase the hearts of a character multiple times instantaneously.
7 Use Summer Crops For Quests
Some Quests Need Items Only Found In Summer
Quests are a big part of Stardew Valley, but some require items for the player to donate to characters. This can be especially annoying when a season has passed, only for players to remember they didn't complete such a quest and now must wait another year.
Saving some items can provide a big relief in the result of this for future quests. For example, the 'Pam Is Thirsty' quest occurs in the first half of summer, so players still have time to grow hops and produce pale ale. However, quests later in summer can only be completed if players have already grown a crop, such as when Demetrius asks for a melon on the 20th. Melons take twelve days to mature, so this quest is not possible from the 20th onwards, which is why some crops should be saved for future quests.
6 Craft Kegs, Preserves Jars, And Casks For Increased Profits
Turning Summer Fruits And Vegetables Into Artisan Goods Increases Revenue
A major way to obtain more money for most crops grown is to turn them into artisan goods using a keg or a preserves jar. Doing so will turn fruits into wine in a keg, and vegetables will turn into pickles in a preserves jar. Vegetables can be put into a keg, and vice versa for fruits, but it is better to make wine and pickles out of the crops.
Kegs can be used with a select few crops to make other items, as hops will make pale ale and wheat will make beer. However, making wine will be more beneficial with the right crops. Melons are good for turning into wine due to a high-profit return. Pickles can't be used in casks, but wine can. Wine spent longer in a cask will age, increasing the quality. This will take a long time, but the foresight to do so will prove helpful when the wine finishes in the winter when farming isn't as viable, giving players something to sell.
5 Begin Investing In Animals
Animal Produce Will Prove Extremely Profitable
Outside of growing crops, the produce that players can receive from animals is one of the biggest ways to net income. Each of the various animals has their own produce that players can either sell or utilize in creating artisan goods.
By summer, enough money should have been saved so players can purchase animals and a barn. This can be a little expensive to begin with, but it is worth it in the long run. Pigs must be let outside to find truffles, while other animals can have produce harvested from them. The animals will need to be taken care of to ensure they regularly produce goods. Just make sure all animals return to the barn before sleeping, as wild animals can attack them.
4 Forage For Summer-Only Items
A Foraging Event Also Occurs In Summer
Foraging is a great way to earn income on the side while crops are growing. Each season has different items that can be foraged, and summer is no different.
Foraging is an important thing to do outside of generating money, as a foraging bundle is present in the Community Center. Some of the items may also be needed in some 'Help Wanted' quests. Additionally, much like in spring and fall, a foraging event occurs in summer. During the 12th-14th, more items will wash up on the beach for players to forage.
3 Catch Summer Fish
Specific Fish Can Only Be Found During Summer
Apart from selling crops, fishing is one of the most reliable ways to make money due to its ease and the variety of fish. However, aside from increasing profits, some fish can be needed for quests, given as a gift to increase a character's friendship or with the fish bundles.
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Pufferfish is a good example of a fish players should catch, as it can only be found during summer, with Demetrius requiring it in one of his quests. For completionists, they should fish during summer to advance the collection as one of the tabs tracks what has been caught.
2 Save Summer Items For Community Center Bundles
Completing The Bundles Advances The Overall Game And Gives Sweet Rewards
The Community Center is one of the major things players should work towards and it functions as the closest thing to an overall quest. Crops, foraged items, and fish are all needed in various bundles to restore the Community Center.
Players should save some of the items they come across for use in the different bundles as once completed, they will bring forth various rewards that will help the player. One of the bundles, the Summer Crop Bundle, is needed to restore the Pantry. Doing so will reward the player with the Greenhouse, which allows the growth of any crop, no matter the season.
1 Grow Summer Crops
Farming Is Stardew Valley's Main Feature, So Grow Summer Crops!
While it might have been a surprise to wake up on the first day of summer to realize the seasons end on the 28th and any spring crops planted were now dead, it allows for the growing of new produce. In a farming game, the main thing to do once summer comes around is to plant and grow all the new crops now available.
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There are a variety of different crops that can only be grown in the summer, with some that can continue growing into fall as well. By this point, some money should have been saved from spring so more crops can be grown during summer, and this time, go crazy. Summer has a good number of profitable crops, such as melons, blueberries, or starfruit. Some crops can also be used for their bonus effects. Melons, red cabbages, starfruit, and hops are all great for restoring energy or health, which can help in the Mines.
