10 Things You Need to Know About the Sunflower Festival

Sunflower season is almost here, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you back to the farm for our annual Sunflower Festival! Whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning guest, this unforgettable event is packed with vibrant blooms, family fun, local vendors, and picture-perfect moments. To help you make the most of your visit, we’ve put together the top 10 things you need to know before you head out to the fields—so grab your camera, round up your crew, and get ready for an unforgettable day surrounded by sunflowers!

1. Tickets

   Who knew that SO many people love sunflowers?! They definitely do though! People of all ages and all locations across the United States have found their way to our little farm in Tennessee. We are so honored to be a part of their summer memories! With the popularity of the event though, comes a lot of people that attend the sunflower festival every year and traffic. To help ensure everyone has a smooth experience attending the event, we do require tickets in advance to the Sunflower Festival every year. Tickets are sold in 1 hour time slots. We ask that you enter the event sometime during your one hour ticketed time. Once you are here, you may stay as long as we are open that day! Tickets will not be sold at the gate. You must purchase them in advance. Children 4 and under are free! Tickets can be purchased and found on our website www.redriverfarmstn.com under the Events & Tickets tab at the top.

   
   

2. Parking

   When you arrive at the farm, you will be greeted by our amazing staff at the gate. They will ask you to show your tickets to them to scan. You can have them printed or simply pull them up on your phone for them to scan. It takes one second for them to scan your ticket, and then you are on your way to our parking attendants. They will have on either yellow or orange vests to help direct you where to park. Parking is on the grass and we are a farm. Therefore, the terrain is not always the smoothest, but it's all part of the experience! If you are a handicap guest, please have your handicap tag on your rearview mirror and share with them that you would like handicap parking if possible. If spaces are open, they will direct you to them. If they are not, they will get your parking spot as close as possible to all of the activities.

   
   

3. Restrooms

   Throughout the farm you will find ~10 restrooms, all strategically placed to help ensure guests can get to them easily! At the red barn on the property, you will find two permanent restrooms for guests with a handicap ramp on it. Beside these restrooms will also be two port-a-potties--one handicap and one not. At the hayride loading area will also be two more restrooms conveniently placed for guests to use prior to loading a wagon. At the sunflower field, you will also find two port-a-potties beside the pavillion and two more located between two of our sunflower fields. Our goal is that these locations help guests access these facilities conveniently during the event!

   
   

4. Hayrides

   We often get asked...do you have to ride a hayride wagon to the sunflower field? Our response is always---it is highly recommended! The sunflower fields are a good distance from the parking area. Therefore, it is recommended on those hot, summer days to jump on a hayride wagon or our famous party school bus to hitch a ride to the fields. It definitely will get you there a lot faster! For handicap guests, we do have hayride attendants to help you on and off of the wagons. Two of our wagons are low to the ground and make it easy to get on. The school bus is another great option if you would rather not ride on a hayride wagon!

   

5. Vendors

   During the Sunflower Festival, we have over 60+ vendors with boutiques, handmade items, crafts, woodwork, paintings, jewelry, and more! There is something here for everyone! Including the guys, too! We have some delicious food truck options for whether you are just wanting a light snack, a cool drink, or a full meal---we've got you covered! Most vendors will accept cash or cards for payment, but we always recommend bringing cash, just in case some are not equipped for credit card payments. You will find about 25 vendors inside of our large gray barn, tent vendors outside on the grass, and trailer and food truck vendors can be found on the grass or gravel driveway areas. Be sure you have joined our event page on Facebook for vendor spotlights and more information about who will be here!

6. Photography

   Can I take pictures there? Yes, you are welcome to take as many pictures and selfies as you wish! We also allow professional photographers to attend if you are wanting to hire someone to do those for you. We do not have a photography fee! We simply ask for your photographer and any of the clients attending to purchase a ticket to the event. Remember, guests 4 and under are free! So grab your camera or hire someone to take pictures for you and head to the farm for frame-worthy photos!

   

7. You-Pick Flowers

   Love sunflowers and want to take some home with you? Get the full festival experience with a you-pick sunflower jar. Stop by the pavillion at the sunflower field a purchase a wide-mouth mason jar for $10 and you can pick as many sunflowers as you can fit inside the jar! We will have regular yellow sunflowers and colored variety flowers too!

   

8. Helicopters

   A few years ago we thought it would be a cool idea to have a helicopter at the event so guests could fly over the blooms! It has been a hit ever since! Enjoy a helicopter ride at the festival for $35 per seat. You pay for this with our helicopter vendor, Aeroluxe Aviation, LLC. You will sign some paperwork with them, pay the fee, and then you are ready to soar above the blooms! The helicopter rides can be found in the back part of the farm behind the sunflower field.

   

9. Safety Flags

   We have created a weather safety plan for the farm and event using colored flags. You will notice either a green, a yellow, or a red flag flying during your visit at the farm. Green means that weather conditions are great outside! A yellow flag alerts you that severe weather is within 30 miles of our area and to be weather aware and be prepared to get to a safe area (we encourage your car). A red flag means that severe weather is within 20 miles of the venue and we are not allowing any guests to enter the farm due to severe storms, lightening, and thunder. When the severe weather threat has passed we will allow guests to enter the farm. For more information about our weather plan, check out our weather safety plan here: https://www.redriverfarmstn.com/weather-safety-plan-for-events

   
   

10. Shaded Areas

    We often get asked about shaded areas on the farm. Yes, we do have several places! We know July can be rather warm outside so these areas are great to get a break from the summer sun. Our large gray barn on the property will be full of vendors, but is a great option to catch a break from the sun! On the side of the gray barn is a shed area with tables and chairs for guests to sit, eat, and catch a breather from all the fun! There is also a pavilion at the sunflower field with shade and places to sit and rest. You can find several red tents by the hayride loading area, and in between the sunflower fields for benches and shade, too!

    

    
    

    Have you been to the sunflower festival before? What else would you add to this list for a new festival goer to know about?