Field Update: August 6th

As of today, our 6th day of the festival, 40% – 50% of our Dahlia varieties are in full bloom and 80% of them are showing a lot of colour. There are a gorgeous variety of hues and sizes of Dahlias, bringing a colourful vibrancy to the fields.

Our first phase of Sunrich Orange sunflowers are at 90% bloom! This section is an excellent height and breathtaking background for snapping show-stopping selfies and group photos.

The display garden has over 15 varieties blooming, and our first phase of Giant sunflowers are at 10% bloom. Wind and rain affected the Giants, causing some to become twisted and tangled, creating a few jungle-like sections. This should make for fun photo opportunities as they continue to grow and bloom.

With this heat, the flowers continue to open at a steady rate: by this weekend the Dahlias will be at 80% – 100% bloom, our first phase of Sunrich will be at 100% (full) bloom, our second phase of Sunrich will be at 20% bloom, our display garden will have between 25 and 35 varieties in bloom, and our first phase of Giants will be 60 – 70% bloom, while our second phase of Giants will be at 5%.

This year we have tripled in size, allowing multiple phases of sunflowers in bloom throughout the festival. At any given time you can expect a minimum of 5 acres of flowers. From mid August to early September there will be overlap between phases, and you can expect 10 or more acres of flowers during this period. The first phase of sunflowers are furthest away from the pavilion, so as each phase blooms, our sea of yellow will move closer and closer to the pavilion area!

Make sure to wander throughout the maze of pathways to get the full festival effect! There are several ideal locations for photography scattered throughout the fields, including a variety of photo props such as our swings, bikes, photo frames, and Sunflower & Dahlia bridges. There are also acres of corn fields and towering rows of hops. The hops vines have climbed sky-high and filled in beautifully, creating an overhead canopy that is magical for photography.

Photo: @rempelstilskin on Instagram

Our U-Pick Corn and Sunflowers will be ready this weekend but keep in mind that we have a limited daily supply so come early! We also have Harrison Corn and Sunflowers, already picked and available to purchase in our festival store.