Have you ever been to a sunflower field? One with thousands of blossoms in an array of colors? Well now is your chance to see one, because Cross-E Ranch has an annual summer sunflower festival that is absolutely beautiful. It’s guaranteed to be a memorable experience for all of you flower lovers out there!
Sunflower Festival History
Cross E Ranch held its first sunflower festival in 2020 and it was a hit. In 2021 they had trouble with the crops and were unfortunately unable to host this activity. But we’re happy to report they are in full swing again for the summer of 2022 and their flowers have been blooming like crazy!
When talking with those at Cross E, we found out that they were initially expecting to grow a field of bright golden yellow sunflowers. You know, that traditional look that we all think of when someone mentions sunflowers. Instead, they were surprised to find they had planted a large variety of colorful blooms! These sunflowers come in all different shades of yellow and orange, and you can also find peach, red, and even multi-colored ones here! Take a look at the picture below of the different species they have identified here so far:
For a history of the ranch itself, check out our informative interview here.
Sunflower Festival Details
Perfect for a date or a family outing, this is the spot to take some beautiful summer photos with a stunning natural backdrop. This event is usually held from late July until Mid-August. The field is located right off the back of the parking lot (across the street from where their other annual festivals are).
This event is dog friendly!
Pricing as of 2022:
$13 ($10 for 3-11 yrs) ticket comes with a flower!
Additional flowers: single stem $2, half dozen $11, dozen $20
You can purchase a vase if you prefer. You pay a flat rate for the vase itself and can fill it with as many flowers as you can fit.
Regular: $10
Large: $25
You can find further details and buy tickets in advance here. You can also sign up for alerts to receive discounts throughout the year!
The Sunflowers
One sunflower is included with your ticket. They provide you with sheers and a water bucket to take with you on your walk. They even wrap your flowers in brown paper before leaving! I thought it was so cute that they offered this additional service.
When talking to the lady working the sunflower wrapping station, I told her how I hadn’t realized that our ticket came with a flower until we arrived. She happily smiled and said that they thought it was very important to give everyone the full sunflower field experience, and being able to pick a flower to take home was a big part of that.
This is honestly one of the things that keep us coming back to the events at Cross E Ranch, not only is it always a fun experience (and what seems like a rare opportunity to feel like you’re out in the country), but everyone putting on the events is so friendly, polite, and welcoming. They really do offer a great hospitable atmosphere here at Cross E.
Other Activities
They have a small petting area with a few of the farm animals that you can visit. When we went, they had 2 donkeys and a few friendly goats to pet. They also have a fun roping activity with large metal cows that you try to toss hula hoops over like you would a lasso. Give it a try, it’s harder than it looks!
Although they do not serve their amazing apple cider donuts during their summer festival, they do sell their refreshing limeades!
How to Pick a Sunflower
Ok, so a little sunflower picking 101, something we learned from our visit. Like many other bouquets, you want to pick flowers that are not in full bloom so you can watch them open up and enjoy them longer (no one wants to end up with wilted flowers in a day or two). So, pick ones that are beginning to bloom, cut stems off at an angle, and trim off the leaves.
Our Sunflower Festival Experience
We happened to visit here on a rainy day. Thankfully we had brought our cowboy boots and raincoats (I had just bought one for Daniel as a birthday gift two weeks prior) so we were prepared for anything.
There was a light drizzle when we arrived and it picked up soon after we began our walk through the flowers. Daniel is not a fan of being caught out in the rain, but I enjoy it (as long as it’s not a torrential downpour). The best part was that there was hardly anyone out there! Looks like the majority of the population shares Daniel’s dislike of stormy weather.
After about 15 minutes the rain stopped and we were able to enjoy that fresh after-storm air and some overcast skies that made for perfect pictures.
We walked around the outside of the field, which I would recommend, since we saw some different flowers than we did in the field itself. I wouldn’t say it’s quite a maze but it is a bit similar, you can wind your way through the flowers and along the dirt paths in between. You can even find photo spots they set up like this one here!
The flowers were all different heights, some standing well over 6 feet and others only about 3 feet tall. It was nice to see the varying sizes, heights, and colors. There were some giant sunflowers there that I swear are as big as my head! I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a flower field quite like this one.
Throughout the Year
Cross E ranch has an event for each season of the year. This was the last one on our list and now we can say that we have officially been to and love them all! You can find our related posts here:
Our favorite one of all is their Fall Festival, because of their detective corn mazes and adorable pig races, although all are well worth going to! The best part is that these activities are ones you can do each and every year and still enjoy returning to. If you have yet to experience Cross E Ranch, we encourage you to visit what has been our favorite spot for festivals throughout the year. If you get the chance to go, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Very FUN post! I am really only familiar with the wild sunflower plants (more like tall shrubs or small trees) that grow in Northern Arizona, but I have always enjoyed seeing those large sunflower heads in Fall décor knowing that they will soon be sunflower seeds. We do enjoy the Cross E Ranch and are so grateful you introduced us to them.
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that you have enjoyed our recommendation and the fun post!
Very FUN post. I am only familiar with fields of the wild sunflower plants (tall shrubs of small trees) that grow in the northern Arizona deserts. I have seen many a large sunflower in Fall décor and always enjoyed the knowing that they will become sunflower seeds in the not to distant future. We enjoyed all your posts at the Cross E Ranch and are so grateful that you introduced them to us through your blog.