SC Sunflower Festival at Denver Downs Farm
Who remembers the Beetles song, “I’ll Follow the Sun?” That could have been written by a sunflower. These unique plants face East when the sun rises and creep toward the West as the sun slips across the sky. Each sunflower contains 1,000 – 2,000 seeds. Sunflowers that grow wild have many small flower-heads, while cultivated plants often have one huge bloom. The largest sunflower on record was grown in Germany and stood over thirty feet – as tall as a three story building. Most are yellow, but some of the rarest species are red, orange, and purple. And you thought they were all yellow! Us too. Roots of black-oil sunflowers clean the soil by growing deep into the ground, pulling out contaminants; improving the soil for everything growing around them.
(This part is for my history buffs in the house) W.D Garrison was a captain in the Civil War as part of Robert E. Lee’s army. In 1872, he bought 273 acres of land between General Road and the Blue Ridge Railroad. We know this land as Denver Downs Farm on Clemson Boulevard. Denver Downs is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Denver Downs Farm welcomes the South Carolina Sunflower Festival this month. Famous for its corn maze and giant pumpkin patch, the farm is now covered in dozens of varieties of gorgeous sunflowers. Added to this marvelous display of color are over thirty attractions, activities, yard games, and friendly farm animals (if you’re deathly afraid of cows, ‘friendly’ might be a stretch). Live music daily entertains as you savor delicious food and freshly squeezed lemonade – you’ll be thankful for the lemonade, trust us. Everything from a barnyard playground and cow-train rides to rope challenges and zip lines is included with the price of admission. There is an extra charge for gem stone mining. Warning: avoid the tall slide if you have acrophobia and don’t get in the enormous tire unless you’re sure you can get out!
Thanks to the vendors market, crowds can leave with anything from stuffed animals to a pot of sunshine a.k.a. Blooming Bundle. Every ticket holder takes home one cut sunflower.
The South Carolina Sunflower Festival at Denver Downs Farm is open Saturdays and Sundays through July 9th, 10 am-6pm. Check out their website here for all the details.
Check out more Andrea Beam adventures around the Upstate here.