Sunflower Farm Festival

Johnny and Nanette as sunflowers

The recent summer rains that we have been having in Georgia and the Carolinas got me thinking about visiting one of the area’s waterfalls.  However, when we woke up to another overcast day this past Sunday, I turned to my husband and said, “Guess what today is?  It’s Sunflower Farm Festival day!”

An hour later we found ourselves traveling east-bound on I-20 towards a town in Georgia called Rutledge.  The occasional drizzles did not hamper our spirits, as we were excited to walk among the sunflowers on this 15-acre farm.

Check’n Coop is where you buy your admission tickets

After we paid for admission, we hurried over to the field of flowers, as we were worried that it was going to rain again.  We wanted to make sure that we had some pictures taken, and picked a few sunflowers to take home.  For $15, they gave us a bucket to fill with our own flowers.  And the fun began…

Towered over by tall sunflower plants

Careful, don’t get stung by a bee!

A girl always deserves a pretty flower

Proudly showing his freshly-cut sunflower

With so many beautiful flowers to choose from, how do you pick the best one?

Busy, busy…

These sunflowers will surely brighten your day

Our bucket is getting full!

All smiles

Done with picking flowers, ready to head back to the festival

After we finished collecting the sunflowers, we were ready to enjoy the rest of the festival.  By this time we were feeling thirsty and a little-worn out because of the humid weather.  Johnny made a bee-line to get us cold, sweet tea from Bayou Billy.  “Put Some South in Your Mouth” is Bayou Billy’s motto, and after our week-long trip to New England, his freshly brewed “Dixie” tea was just the fix that we needed.

Satisfying our craving for Southern sweet tea

A Bayou Billy tin mug

For the more adventurous, the folks at the farm have added zip-lining over the sunflower field.  Although it sounded like a lot of fun, we chose to sit on a log sipping our tea and listening to a bluegrass band that was performing on the stage.

Bluegrass music added a nice ambiance to the festival

As we were heading back to our car, we checked out a few of the art vendors.

The paintings and the woodwork remind me of my own grandfather’s artistic talent

We also ran into some decorated golf carts at the parking lot, as they were getting ready for a parade that benefits the Morgan County Relay for Life.

Cruise for the Cure Golf Cart Parade

To learn more about the Sunflower Farm Festival, you can visit their website at www.sunflowerfarmfestival.com.  The festival is held annually, usually around the 4th of July weekend.

This bouquet of sunflowers now adorn our dining room