Nothing says “summer” like bright, beautiful sunflowers! Learn the details about the sunflowers at Dix Park, as well as several other places in (or near) the Triangle to experience sunflowers in 2024.
Please make sure to know in advance which sunflower fields allow you to cut and purchase stems, and which are just for looking — and photo ops! Also, in some cases professional photographers will need to buy a pass in order to hold photo sessions. Make sure to follow links to go to the websites or social media accounts for the various farms and venues so that you can get the latest sunflower updates.
Sunflowers at Dix Park
The sunflowers at Dorothea Dix Park are in bloom (as of July 4, 2024.) Find complete information on Dix Park’s Sunflower page. Also, Dorothea Dix Park Facebook page is a good place for updates.
It’s free to visit 7 days a week, from dawn to dusk. Do not pick or cut flowers or eat seeds.
Closest Park Entrances:
- Hunt Drive Entrance from Western Boulevard
- Blair Drive Entrance from Centennial Parkway
Weekday Public Parking:
- Gravel lot off Hunt Drive (75 Hunt Dr.)
- Paved lot near the Magnolia Room (1700 Umstead Dr.)
Evening & Weekend Parking:
- Visitors are welcome to use any parking lot
Greenway Access:
- Take the Greenway to Dix Park via Rocky Branch Trail or Centennial Bikeway Connector
More info:
- Recommended: sunscreen, hats, bug spray and close-toed shoes.
- Please stay on the paths in the field so as not to trample the flowers.
- Well behaved, leashed pets are welcome. Keep pets on pathways and picked up after them.
- Temporary restrooms are located near entrances of the Sunflower Field.
- Indoor restrooms are available at The Stone Houses seven days a week from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
- The Gatekeeper’s Cottage Visitor Center is open Saturdays & Sundays, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
- NC Department of Health and Human Services employees work on the campus Monday -Friday. Please be respectful of their working environment and avoid buildings and DHHS parking areas during business hours.
Visit dixpark.org/sunflowers for updates.
Firefly Farm
Firefly Farm
4911 Hunt Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Updates on Facebook
This small, family-owned farm is bursting with flowers. Guests can cut their own flowers for very reasonable prices throughout the spring and summer flower season. In general you can create a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers that you pick yourself, for $20. You can also meet the animals when you visit, including a mini-donkey! The farm is open to visitors on a schedule that you’ll find on their website. You need to make an appointment to visit. Follow Firefly Farm on Facebook or check their website to see which flowers are blooming at any particular time.
Huckleberry Trail Farm
Huckleberry Trail Farm
143 Pleasant Hill Church Road, Siler City, SC 27344
Updates on Facebook
Huckleberry Trail Farm has planted sunflowers for their 4th annual Sunflower Fest! The flowers will bloom, and the festival will take place, in August. Check their Facebook page for the schedule.
Dogwood Farms
Dogwood Farms
8096 Belews Creek Road, Belews Creek, NC 27009
Sunflowers arrive early July
Updates on Facebook
Dogwood Farms is a flower farm northwest of Greensboro, so it’s about an hour and a half from Raleigh, but they take their sunflowers really seriously here! They hold U-cut days every day of sunflower season. The cost is $10 to go into the fields, with children under 7 admitted for free. Those age 65+ are admitted for $5, and veterans and active duty military, with ID, are admitted for free. There is an additional charge of $1 a stem if you’d like to cut sunflowers. You can expect the fields to be in bloom in early July. There will also be cosmos and zinnias to cut. Look for updates on their Facebook page.
North Carolina Museum of Art
North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
Updates on Facebook and NCMA’s other social media channels
The North Carolina Museum of Art planted a 2.5-acre field of sunflowers and other summer flowers, like zinnias, in the Museum Park. It’s a fantastic spot for photos, and there’s a very high chance of butterfly sightings. Please don’t pick the flowers! It should be in bloom in late August or early September.
Hubb’s Farm
Hubb’s Farm
10276 N. US-421, Clinton, NC 28328
Updates on Facebook
Hubb’s Farm hosts many events, including movie nights, a corn maze, and a Polar Express night on the farm. In addition, it boasts tons of activities, like meeting farm animals, a treasure mine, a bale maze, a pumpkin patch, a zipline and much more. From approximately September 1 to November 2, 2024, there will be sunflowers, zinnias and pumpkins to pick. Dates might vary. Check Hubbs’ Farm’s website for updates.
Phillips Farms of Cary
Phillips Farms of Cary
6701 Good Hope Church Road, Cary, NC 27519
Updates on Facebook
Phillips Farms offers activities for many seasons, including strawberry picking, a farmers’ market, a corn maze, a haunted farm, and Christmas trees. Sunflowers will bloom in late September through October. You will be able to take pictures and take a few home.
Ken’s Korny Corn Maze
Ken’s Korny Corn Maze
3175 Benson Road, Garner, NC 27529
Updates on Facebook
Ken’s Korny Corn Maze, best known as a fall attraction, also typically has a sunflower field. Last year it bloomed three times: late July, late August, and Late September. Tickets were $5 and that included one stem. Additional stems could be cut for $1 each.
Maple View Farm Ice Cream
Maple View Farm Ice Cream
6900 Rocky Ridge Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Updates on Facebook
In 2022, there was a sunflower field at Maple View Farm Ice Cream! What could be better than ice cream with a view? While you enjoy some of the best ice cream in the Triangle, also enjoy the sunflowers. You’re welcome to take pictures or to cut a few. Please make a donation to Kids Path of AuthoraCare. We will update soon for 2024.
15 Fun Sunflower Facts
There’s something magical about a sunflower, and people can’t resist being drawn to them. Here are some interesting sunflower facts!
- They are native to America.
- They need 6 to 8 hours of sun a day.
- They “keep their eye” on the sun. Young blossoms, in a behavior called “heliotropism,” will follow the sun during the day.
- The French word for sunflower is “tournesol,” which literally means “turns with the sun.”
- Mature sunflowers face east.
- The tallest sunflower on record was over 30 feet tall, but your typical tall sunflower reaches 12 to 16 feet.
- Dwarf sunflowers generally stay under 3 feet.
- The sunflower’s head is actually made of thousands of smaller flowers.
- U.S. astronaut Don Pettit brought sunflower seeds into space in 2012, and blogged about the the gardening process.
- Sunflowers have been used in foods, medicines, dyes and oils.
- You can use sunflowers as a homemade scrubbing pad.
- Not all sunflowers are yellow. There are also red and purple varieties.
- Sunflowers can self-pollinate if no bees are around to transfer pollen to the stigma. The stigma can twist around to reach its own pollen, and in that case, will produce seeds that grow into plants identical to the one they came from.
- There are about 70 species of sunflowers.
- Sunflowers are sometimes used for biofuel.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
