Image: L. Gomes / PML / The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival is open daily until Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

By Laurice Gomes

Chilliwack Sunflower Festival

Even with backdrop of mountains, Chilliwack Sunflower Festival steals the show

Aug 14, 2022 | 6:00 AM

CHILLIWACK — At the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival, fields of sunflowers stand tall and proud, as admirers relish them.

Kate Onos-Gilbert, who is the co-founder, said the festival is in its fifth year, and even with COVID, organizers were fortunate enough to keep the fields open with capacity limits.

“The big thing is that we don’t have the capacity issues that we’ve had in the past,” she said, referring to this year’s event. “We still sell our tickets by the hour, so that we can manage our parking lot and so that we know there’s always space in our parking lot. If we didn’t do that, then we’d have challenges.”

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Kate Onos-Gilbert who is the co-founder said the festival is in its fifth year.

Onos-Gilbert said there are nearly 50 different varieties of sunflowers, with a couple of main ones that make up most of the fields. There are also dahlias, gladiolas, and new to the festival this year—cosmos and zinias.

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“In addition to that, we have about three kilometres of pathways around the fields that you can wander and explore for as long as you like, finding all the photo-ops along the way, which we have a ton of,” she said. “The most popular ones are the 1950 Morris convertible and the swings—we have seven different sets of swings throughout the fields. We also have four raised platforms—so you can get up close and personal with some sunflowers.”

Image: L. Gomes / PML / 1950 Morris convertible is a popular attraction for photo opportunities at the festival.

According to Onos-Gilbert, the festival usually attracts crowds by the thousands—anywhere from one thousand to five thousand people in a day.

“This year we are having a Ukraine Day which will be on Aug. 25, and on that day all ticket sales will be going to the organization called HERO Society, which is a non-profit help with humanitarian aid,” the co-founder remarked.

The festival is open daily until Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Tickets can be purchased online ideally,” Onos-Gilbert said. “You can get at the gate, but if we are full in the parking lot, then there may be a chance you’re turned away.”

She added that footwear was something to consider when attending the festival.

“Make sure you dress appropriately; we are a farm,” she said. “So, if we’ve watered, which we need to do, it will be muddy, so don’t come with your best shoes.”

For more information, people can visit chilliwacksunflowerfest.com.

Image: L. Gomes / PML / The festival attracts crowds by the thousands—anywhere from one thousand to five thousand people in a day.