Frequently Asked Questions

Where are you located?
Easy-peasy. To get to the Sunflowers just drive straight along Hwy 1. Our fields are located right off the highway, in Chilliwack, BC. Take exit 109 (Yale Road West exit) and in less than a minute you’ll arrive at 41310 Royalwood Drive. See our Plan Your Trip page for detailed directions. There is also an alternate access via Exit 116 and return via Yale Road West, for driveway access onto the fields, take Royalwood Drive.

How much does it cost?
Less than a boring movie and dinner, more than a dollar store. No, really. We want to be inclusive of all, so we keep our prices reasonable. We also offer discounts for buying tickets at least a day in advance.  All tickets must be pre-purchased online this year for a specific time slot before arriving at the farm.

What is the cost of parking?
A smile…because parking is free! Whether you are arriving by truck, car, bike, moped, or motorcycle. Whatever you take to come down here, we have plenty of free parking for all, available all week long!

What are your hours of operation?

Open daily from August 10th until September 5th from 10am – 6pm.

Note: We ask that guests arrive within the hour they have purchased their ticket for, but are welcome to stay beyond the hour.

How far are the fields from parking?
We try to make it easy on all our guests by providing parking right next to our fields.

Is there accessible disability parking?
Sunflowers are a special sight that everyone should be able to enjoy! So, we provide accessible disability parking on a gravel area right next to our entrance booth. The area is marked with the corresponding placard.

What about field accessibility?
The great news is, on a dry day, it should be possible to navigate easily on our grass pathways throughout the fields. This is a working farm, so there are ruts in some pathways, but we try our best to even out the ground! It is best to keep your visit to non-rainy days, if using a wheelchair, walker, or if you have difficulty walking. There will be seating available around the field and in the pavilion for those who have mobility issues.

Flower fields mean there will be bees & wasps… right?
That’s right! There are a lot of bees and wasps at the festival, so if you have allergies, be sure to bring your epi-pen and have it handy.

Can I walk over the entire field?
There are more than enough walkways for you to get lost in while wandering through our flower fields. And although we use the stalks and blooms for silage and animal feed at the end of the season, we still want everyone to be able to enjoy their beauty during the festival, so we ask that you be respectful of the fields and flowers while walking through them.

Can we purchase bulbs at your fields?
Yes, of course. We are big into bulbs! We sell Canadian-grown tulip bulbs and daffodil bulbs, direct from our fields!

What type of flowers can you see in the fields?
Sunflowers for sure… otherwise it wouldn’t be much of a sunflower fest, would it? We feature 12-15 acres of flowers with nearly 50 varieties of sunflowers and a dazzling array of dahlias, gladiolas, zinnias and cosmos!

How long has the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival been in operation?
We are just a young thing. Although we’ve been running the Chilliwack Tulip Festival since 2006, we only decided to grow Sunflowers recently. We planted our first Sunflower fields at the end of May 2018 and we first opened in August 2018.

Are the sunflowers just grown for the festival?
Yes! The Sunflowers are grown specifically for our guests to enjoy and once the season is over, the stalks and blooms are used for silage and animal feed.

How big are your fields?
Each season we have 12-15 acres of sunflowers, dahlias, gladiolas, zinnias and cosmos on our farm to view along winding pathways. That is a whole lot of beautiful blooms to enjoy!

Do you pick the flowers in your fields?
We are back to offering U-pick Sunflowers this year! We have a special field just for this with three varieties! Please don’t pick or cut the flowers in our main fields. Another option is to head to our field-side Farm Shop to pick up your fresh-cut sunflowers!

Will other activities be offered during the sunflower season?

You probably want to know if we have more than flowers? We sure do! The flower fields are the jewel in our crown, but we also have many other activities and displays, so you can experience a whole day of fun. Other than the chance to enjoy our beautiful fields, we also have:

1. On-site food trucks – there will be food trucks at the fields daily ready to keep those tummies full so you can give the fields a second round.
2. Special Photo Opportunities – want a great background for your phone? Or maybe some memorable family pics, or fun ones with your friends? Around the field, there are plenty of places to take that special photo, like beside our windmill, our old Dutch bikes, our 1950 Morris, or one of our seven swing sets or by the various field-viewing platforms. Come discover the best photo backdrop you’ll ever find!
3. You can also shop at The Farm Shop – bring back a souvenir! Impress your friends with magnets, keychains, photo cards, or grab a unique gift for someone special. Look for these items and more:

• Fresh-cut and potted sunflowers
• Postcards, photo cards, keychains and magnets
• Sunflower seeds for your garden
• Sunflower-inspired gifts
• Ice cream and cold beverages

Are there kid-friendly activities at the festival?
Kids will enjoy our flowers as much as our adult guests, how many different colours of sunflowers can they spot, or how big dinner plate dahlias get. We also have giant lawn games and plenty of photo-ops, including seven swing sets, for everyone to enjoy!

Can I buy food on site?
We’ll have one food truck on-site daily on weekdays, and two on weekends! Check our Food Trucks page for the details. We will also have pre-packaged frozen treats and cold refreshments available on-site at our Farm Shop.

Can we bring our own food?
Want to surround yourself with Sunflowers while you eat? We don’t blame you. That’s one of our favourite summer pastimes! We’ll have picnic tables on the lawn near the entrance to the festival grounds, as well as in our pavilion if you prefer a little shade on those hot, sunny days.

Will there be places to sit and get out of the weather?
If it should rain, and in BC that is always a possibility, we have got you covered – literally. There is no need to skip the fields, we will have a couple of covered areas in case of rain, or too much sun.

How should I dress?
We wouldn’t recommend expensive heels or your Sunday best. Anything that might not go well with a little dirt, you might want to leave at home. We are a farm, after all, and you will be walking in dirt fields. And though we do our best to ensure there are some areas that remain clean and dry, a lot of our pathways are dirt and can get muddy on wet days.

We advise you to bring the following:
• Gumboots or good walking shoes/boots – that way, rain or shine, you’re prepared for all weather conditions. Forgot to bring a pair? No worries. We have disposable booties available for those exceptionally wet days.
• An umbrella, or something with a hood, in case it rains.
• A rain jacket, to keep you warm and toasty as you stroll the fields. And layering clothes is always a good option, so you can remove items if it gets hot, or add them in if it is a bit chilly.

Do you have bathrooms?
Well, we don’t want you squatting in the Sunflowers, so we have ample, regularly serviced, portable toilets on-site, with some accessible stalls and several hand-wash stations.

Are we allowed to bring dogs/house pets*?

We love dogs and all animals! We’re big pet people. And we always set up a drink station near the bathrooms. We only ask that you keep your furry friends leashed and please pick up after them, as we don’t want to make a mess for others to step in.

*If you are thinking of bringing an unconventional pet (particularly any larger animals), please inquire with us via our Contact page first.

Smoking?
We want to keep the air clean for all our visitors, so please, no smoking at the fields or in our parking lots. Our grounds do get quite hot and dry in the summer months, especially, and fires can occur quickly with the drop of a cigarette butt. We also ask that you refrain from vaping, as some people have sensitivities to the propellants in these products.

What methods of payment do you accept?
At one point in history, you could pay your way in bulbs (no kidding, it’s true!). These days, you can purchase your tickets online or at the ticket booth upon arrival with Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. At our frozen treat stand and our gift store we would prefer contactless payment through debit or credit card.

Do you provide refunds?
Sorry, tickets are non-refundable. Please contact us by e-mail if you have any concerns.

Are drones allowed?
Due to Canada Transport Guidelines, drones are not allowed on our fields.