There’s always something bittersweet about the end of summer, but I think that’s why the Earth gives us sunflowers to enjoy at this time of year. Some of us are looking forward to our little ones going back to school, and some of us have only just now started to get into the summer groove.
Time goes by fast, and so does the sunflower peak blooming season. Here are some of our favorite spots around Virginia to enjoy these bountiful blooms while they’re still around.
What I love the most about many of these places is that they offer more than endless blooms and photo opportunities for the family. Many also have special events, activities, and treats for the whole family to enjoy.
Just outside of Charlottesville in the town of Greenwood you can find Virginia Sunflower Fest, running July 19 through August 9. We would recommend purchasing tickets online in advance as they fill up quickly, especially during the weekend.
Virginia Sunflower Fest offers u-pick sunflowers, photo ops, slushies for the adults (21+), and scenic walking trails with views of Virginia’s famous Blue Ridge Mountains. Families are welcome to bring their own outside food and drink, alcoholic beverages excluded, which makes this an easy one if you’re packing around food allergies. Our guide to managing food allergies at summer camp has snack strategies that travel just as well to a farm day as they do to camp.
Check out their website before visiting to make the most of their scheduled events such as butterfly releases and a picnic dinner in the sunflowers. Do be aware that the field and walking areas can be rugged, and strollers may not roll as smoothly, especially after a rain. Another local favorite is the Virginia Sunflower Festival at Chiswell Farm.
Just 40 miles west of Washington, DC you can find Burnside Farms’ Summer of Sunflowers in Nokesville, running July 19 through August 9. Burnside Farm hosts 78 acres of sunflower fields with over 30 varieties of sunflowers to enjoy with your family.
For the little ones, and even the little at heart ones, the farm has a 4,400 square foot sunflower and tulip themed playground with a shaded seated area to supervise from. For the more adventurous, the farm has designed and planted three sunflower field mazes that are especially beautiful to enjoy during the sunset.
The farm offers Early Bird admission to beat the summer heat for entry between 6am and 8am. For those of us who are less morning inclined there are also 8am to noon and 4pm to dusk tickets available. From 12pm to 4pm the farm closes to avoid the heat of the day. On Fridays the farm hosts Foamy Fridays, where the fam can enjoy bubbles, DJs, food trucks, and Friday fun. Be sure to check their website for a schedule of the Tribute to Summer Saturday Concert Series.
Weekday morning tickets start at $15, while weekday sunset admission costs $17. Weekend mornings begin at $16, with most weekend sunset tickets priced at $18, while Foamy Friday and Concert Saturday evenings cost $18.50. Weekend Early Bird tickets are available for $18. Children 5 and younger are admitted free, while tickets are required for guests ages 6 and older. Tickets can only be purchased online, and each ticket includes three sunflower stems for you to pick and take home with you after your visit. There are also opportunities to purchase more stems in advance at a discounted price.
Just 30 miles from the city of Richmond you can find Lickinghole Creek’s Sunflower Weekends. Every weekend from July 25 through August 16, Goochland’s Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery opens their 22 acres of blooming sunflowers to the public with no reservations required.
The brewery is located on a 290 acre working farm where your family can also enjoy u-pick sunflowers, wandering through a sunflower maze, or enjoying some shade with a drink (21+ drinks available for the grown-ups). The brewery welcomes leashed dogs, so the entire family can participate in this outing. Sunflower Weekends’ hours are Saturday 12 to 8pm and Sunday 12 to 6pm.
This September will mark the 10 year anniversary of a small Buchanan family farm opening to the public to share their fields of now 700,000 plus blooming sunflowers. From September 11 through 20, Beaver Dam Farm will be hosting their famed Sunflower Festival.
Beaver Dam Farm’s Sunflower Festival offers more than just sunflowers. Visitors this year will be able to enjoy sunflower fields, hayrides, special activities, local food, a children’s area for the young ones in your life, tons of photo booths and photography opportunities, plenty of educational opportunities, and more than 120 arts and crafts vendors.
Pre-picked sunflower stems can be purchased, but this festival does not offer pick your own flowers. It’s for a special reason. At the end of sunflower season the seeds are collected and sold to support the family farm, and you can even purchase a packet of seeds to plant in your own yard.
Be sure to check the events page in advance to make reservations for activities such as sunset yoga, goat yoga, homeschool trips, and even peaceful sunset dinners among the flowers. General admission tickets can be purchased at the farm day of, but special events may require reservations. Weekend hours are 10am to 5pm with admission costing $10 cash or $11 card. This is an alcohol free event. Find more family fun outings in Southwest Virginia from RoanokeFamily.
While you’re out enjoying sunflowers with your family, whether it’s at a dedicated festival or a roadside cluster of blooms, encourage your little ones to make some observations.
What do they notice about the parts of the plant? Ask them about the texture of the stem. It may feel fuzzy or spiky. Why do they think that is? Could it be to protect the plant from predators such as insects?
Encourage them to look up close at the center of the flower to identify the seeds. What is the function of a sunflower’s seeds? They are an important food source for wildlife, and they make more sunflowers. If your crew gets curious about which birds and pollinators are visiting the field, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has species guides that are easy to browse together on your phone right there in the field.
One of my favorite at-home science lessons uses sunflowers to teach phototropism, the directional growth of a plant toward sunlight. Big, beautiful sunflowers will always face the sun, and it’s so fun to watch a timelapse of or observe in person. And why do sunflowers want to face the sun? They use it to make food. Building meaningful science connections and observational skills is easier than you think, and it doesn’t have to be restricted to school. You’ll find more hands-on ideas like this in our parent resources collection.
Beat the summer heat this year and find a Virginia creek near you to visit with the family. Creeks and swimming holes offer an experience that you just won’t find at a pool. There’s something about being surrounded by trees, the sounds of birds, and searching for minnows and salamanders in Virginia’s cool waters that offers an escape for the whole family. Our roundup of creek adventures and swimming holes for kids will get you started.
If your family is ready for a little more current, we also mapped out river tubing and kayaking outfitters across Virginia for everything from lazy floats to first-time paddling trips.
And when the sunflowers fade and school schedules take over, that’s the perfect moment to start thinking about next summer. Browse our Virginia camp directory to see what’s near you, grab our free packing list printables so next June is calmer than last June, and dig into more family guides and downloads whenever you need them.
When is peak sunflower season in Virginia?
Most Virginia sunflower fields peak from mid-July through mid-August, with mountain and Southwest Virginia farms like Beaver Dam blooming later, into September. Bloom windows shift by a week or two each year with weather, so check the farm’s social media before you drive.
Are sunflower festivals stroller friendly?
It varies. Farms with paved or mowed paths and playgrounds, like Burnside Farms, handle strollers better than working fields with rugged rows. A carrier is usually the safer bet after rain.
What should we bring to a sunflower field with kids?
Water, sun hats, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, and a snack if outside food is allowed. Mornings are cooler and far less crowded than midday.
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