Beautiful Sunflower Festival in the Valley
Located 20 minutes north of Roanoke Virginia on interstate 81 is Buchanan. This area is home to the Beaver Dam Farm and every September since 2016 they have had the Sunflower Festival.
It started out small with just opening to visitors with hayrides, a small animal petting area and a couple of vendors. But the festival has really grown in those five years and now they have over 90 vendors and several other updates. If you want to dress for the occasion, this shirt will get you in the mood!
Arrival at Beaver Dam Farm
When you arrive, there will be signs that point you in the right direction. Watch out if you use a GPS! It will have you turn up the wrong road so you must watch for the signs and workers.
Head up the road to a field to park and walk into the festival. When you walk up, you will see some of the sunflowers at the top of the hill. Tickets are available ahead of time online and I highly recommend you do this to guarantee admittance and it saves time when arriving.
Acres of Sunflowers at Beaver Dam Farm
When you come in the festival, you will be amazed at the 20 acres of sunflowers in front of you! You will also notice the food vendors as they are at the front. We’ll talk about these later.
Photo Ops
So many Instagram worthy spots!
As you wind through the paths in the fields, you will notice several photo ops. Take advantage of these! They are so much fun for the family and you’ll want pictures to remember the day. They will make great Instagram posts with the sunflowers all over the background.
Vendors at Beaver Dam Farm
When you head up to the other side, you will see all the craft vendors. There are so many items for sale by local artists you won’t know where to start. I personally enjoy looking at the jewelry but there are toys that the kids will love to browse as well.
Going back up to the main area, you will see a hayride that they still run and a small animal petting area. This year they had some young chickens, a cow and some goats.
Hayrides and Food
Go on the hayride to enjoy a relaxing ride through the sunflower fields. You’ll be able to just sit and enjoy the beauty with your family on some hay bales. After your ride, you’ll be right next to the food trucks again.
We love to get Star City Sweet Treats where the ice cream is churned by a John Deere engine. Highly recommend the Brownie batter ice cream!
There are also church and school groups selling food such as hot dogs, some water and treats like cotton candy to make money along with the food trucks. This year there appear to be 15 food stops to choose from.
There are seats nearby under some shade with a few tables so you can enjoy some live music while you eat. There is also seating off to the side of that area if it’s too loud for your kids. Or, you can be like us and try to find some shade and sit on the ground.
We have been going to the Beaver Dam Sunflower Festival for the past three years and it’s always such a treat! I highly recommend getting there if you live nearby. There’s just something special about being surrounded by all those happy looking flowers.
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