This article, originally posted in July 2021, was updated in July 2023.
It’s the start of sunflower season, and whether you’re looking for a perfect photo op, some summer flowers to brighten your day, or a fun outing with the kids, there are a number of sunflower fields in the area where you can pick and see blooms.
Because sunflowers can bloom throughout the summer, farms in the area don’t necessarily plant their seeds at the same time. Some farms offer sunflower picking over the next few weeks, while others are still waiting for blooms—and won’t have their festivals until late August and early September. But farms blooming later in the season sell tickets early, so if you’ve got your heart set on a particular one, you may want to get tickets now before they sell out.
To Pick
Sunflowers of Lisbon
15845 Frederick Rd., Woodbine – 40 miles from DC
11788 Route 216, Fulton – 50 miles from DC
Sunflowers of Lisbon has two festivals in Maryland throughout July and August. The first festival, which takes place at its Woodbine location, runs July 13 through 31 and the second is August 1 through 31 at its Fulton location. Tickets are $17 and include four flowers (extra flowers are $3 a stem). Each festival has different activities every day, including food trucks, music, and local vendors. Pro tip: The festivals are dog-friendly. As long as your pup is leashed they can roam the yellow fields with you.
Rocky Point Creamery
4323A Tuscarora Rd., Tuscarora – 50 miles from DC
What’s better than sunflowers, ice cream, and giving back to the community? Rocky Point Creamery in Maryland offers sunflower picking for $1 a stem, and all proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The creamery also has over 80 ice cream flavors, including combos like peanut butter oreo, hazelnut coffee swirl, and lemon cookie crunch, with new ones every week (check their Facebook page for weekly menus). Though it doesn’t seem as if the sunflowers have bloomed just yet, check the creamery’s Facebook page over the next few weeks for sunny updates.
Burnside Farms
11008 Kettle Run Rd., Nokesville – 40 miles from DC
This Virginia farm plants more than 30 varieties of sunflowers, and all are available for picking. Tickets go on sale July 14. The farm has a variety of flora to pick from including gladiolus, liatris, cosmos, and zinnias. There are also sunset times so you have an even prettier backdrop with the flowers. Or you can bring a lunch and picnic by the barn after a morning of picking.
Clarksville Sunflower Market
4979 Sheppard Ln., Ellicott City (Mary’s Land Farm) – 38 miles from DC
The Clarksville Sunflower Festival runs August 1 through 31, and tickets are on sale now. The Maryland farm also features more than just yellow sunflowers—they also bloom in orange, deep red, and a pale yellow that almost looks like white. The farm also has fields of wildflowers and sells various vases to keep your blooms healthy.
Goldpetal Farms
37260 Manor Rd., Chaptico – 50 miles from DC
This Maryland farm is open for picking Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM until sunset. You’ll get five free sunflowers with the price of admission, which is $15 a person; each additional sunflower costs $1. The farm features several sunflower mazes, including one shaped like a caterpillar this year, which celebrate the theme “metamorphosis.” You can also bring your pup as long as they’re leashed and well-behaved.
Summers Farm
7503 Hollow Rd., Middletown – 50 miles from DC
This Maryland farm offers 35 different types and colors of sunflowers for picking and picture-taking. While the farm isn’t open during the week, the 3rd Annual Sunflower Festival will take place on August 19, 20, 26 and 27 as well as September 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11. Tickets are $19.50 a person online, $22.50 at the gate, and children under three are free. You’ll get to take a wagon ride to the field, where you can pick one flower for free and pay $3 extra for each additional flower. The farm also offers a corn maze, farm animals, games, food, music, and local beer to try.
Braehead Farm
1130 Tyler St., Fredericksburg – 57 miles from DC
You can pick a wide variety of veggies, berries, and flowers at this Virginia farm, including sunflowers for $1 a stem. Admission is free for the pick-your-own fields. You can also enjoy a bonfire, farmers’ market, farm animals, and a play area for the kiddos. The end of July is also a great time to pick blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Liberty Mills Farm
9166 Liberty Mills Rd., Somerset – 94 miles from DC
This Virginia farm’s sunflower festival is taking place August 26 and 27 and September 2 through 4. Tickets aren’t available just yet but they will be available online. Make sure to purchase in advance. The festival has different activities every day, including food trucks, live music, and fields of gorgeous flowers to pick and take home.
Godfrey’s Farm
302 Leager Rd., Sudlersville – 79 miles from DC
At this Maryland farm, you must check in at the market and buy a bucket to hold your sunflowers in order to enter the field. Bring your own clippers if you have them as the store doesn’t sell or provide any. The front of the field has flowers perfect for cutting, and the back has full-bloom flowers great for photos. Reservations are not required.
Great Country Farms
34345 Snickersville Tpk., Bluemont – 57 miles from DC
Great Country Farms’ Cut Your Own Sunflower Festival ended already, but you can still come to the farm and check out the flowers in bloom. Basic admission costs $11 for children aged 3 to 17 and $13 for visitors 18 and up. Sunflower picking costs $1 per stem. Bring your own clippers or purchase some for an additional $3. The farm also offers peach and blackberry picking, apple cider donuts, kids games, and farm animals as well as several other festivals this summer, including a pick-your-own Blackberry Bonanza, Big Dig Potato Fest, and Peach Fuzztival.
To See Only—No Picking
If you’re less interested in picking sunflowers and more keen to take the perfect Instagram photo, there are a few places in the area that are meant for viewing and not picking.
McKee-Beshers Sunflower Fields
18600 River Rd., Poolesville – 25 miles from DC
McKee-Beshers, one of Maryland’s wildlife management areas, plants sunflowers every spring to provide a food source for animals. You can access the fields any time of day and entry to the park is free. Trampling on or cutting the sunflowers is strictly prohibited, but you can bring your pup for the perfect summertime picture.
