Celebrating Community: Todhunter Vineyards’ First Annual Sunflower Festival

In 2026 Todhunter Vineyards will open its gates for a new tradition designed to bring people together – our First Annual Sunflower Festival. This family‑friendly celebration will take place among the rolling hills of our vineyard in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and takes its inspiration from the enormously popular Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival in Buchanan, Virginia. Beaver Dam Farm's Festival started only a decade ago but has now grown to welcome tens of thousands of guests each September to wander through a sea of 700,000 sunflowers, shop more than a hundred vendors and enjoy special events like hayrides, sunset dinners, interactive art, and more. The festival has become the largest sunflower festival and vendor fair on the East Coast, generating over 1.4 million dollars in economic impact. We want to bring that same magic and community spirit to Westmoreland County.

A Blooming Inspiration

Beaver Dam Farm’s story is the perfect blueprint for what our sunflower festival can become. Like Beaver Dam Farm, Todhunter Vineyards land has been continuously occupied by our family for many generations, and has gone through several evolutions. In 2015 the family planted 20 acres of black‑oil sunflowers and, when the fields opened to the public the following year, they expected about 300 visitors; instead, they welcomed 1,600 guests in a single day. The event continued to grow, and by 2023 the festival attracted 20,000+ visitors, offered more than 100 vendors of handmade crafts and fresh food, and featured hayrides, photo opportunities, and a sea of sunflowers stretching across the farm. Weekday programming includes special field‑trip days for preschoolers, seniors and individuals with special needs, as well as ticketed sunset dinners. After the festival the farm harvests the seeds and sells them as birdseed or packets for home gardeners. The success of the Beaver Dam Farm festival shows how a working farm can create a joyful community event while diversifying income and showcasing local agriculture. We at Todhunter Vineyards aim to adapt those ideas to our own land.

Our Vision for 2026

When and where

The First Annual Sunflower Festival will take place on the grounds of Todhunter Vineyards during late August and early September 2026, when sunflower blossoms are at their peak. We are transforming a section of fallow land into a sunflower field, creating winding paths and photo stops reminiscent of Beaver Dam Farm’s famous rows of blooms. The festival will run over two long weekends to accommodate busy schedules and will include weekday programming for school groups, seniors, and special-needs visitors.

Activities and attractions

The Annual Todhunter Vineyards Sunflower Festival will be more than just a photo opportunity. Plans include:

• Hayrides through the vineyard – a tractor‑pulled wagon will ferry guests past vineyards and into the sunflower fields, providing a relaxing overview of the property.

• Farm animal encounters – children can visit a small petting area with friendly chickens, ducks, and maybe even goats and sheep!

• Artisanal craft & food vendors – we will invite local artisans and food purveyors to sell jewelry, woodwork, sunflower‑themed crafts, kettle corn, donuts and more. We hope to offer a tempting variety while giving regional makers a platform.

• Live music and entertainment – a small stage will feature local musicians and performers throughout the day. We will also have photo booths and interactive art installations; one that we're particularly excited about is offering grape-stomping/smashing followed by grape-purple hand-prints and foot-prints on branded white t-shirts! You'll make your own t-shirt from the juice from our vineyard's grapes!

• Sunset dinners – on select evenings we will host ticketed, catered dinners among the flowers.

• Kid‑friendly activities – a kids’ zone will include face‑painting, sunflower craft stations and a mini‑maze, making the festival welcoming for families.

• Sunflower seed sales – after the festival we will harvest our sunflower seeds and offer them as birdseed or packets for those who want to plant their own plot.

Inclusivity and community focus

Community engagement is at the heart of this festival. Todhunter Vineyards will designate weekday mornings for school groups and senior centers. We will partner with local non‑profits to ensure accessibility and to provide discounted or complimentary tickets for underserved families. Volunteers and sponsors from nearby Ligonier will have opportunities to get involved, and we welcome suggestions for additional programming that highlights our region’s diversity.

Economic benefits and sustainability

Agritourism can boost a local economy: more than 20,000 visitors attend each year and the festival generates an estimated $1.4 million in economic impact. By hosting a similar event for Westmoreland County, we hope to provide a new revenue stream for our vineyard and local vendors while attracting visitors to our winery. We are committed to sustainable practices – composting all food waste, using reusable dishware and recycling.

Join us in the sunflowers

Todhunter Vineyards’ First Annual Sunflower Festival is more than an event; it’s an invitation to experience rural beauty, support local artisans and celebrate community. We are excited to share more details – including exact dates, ticket prices and vendor applications – in 2026. Whether you’re posing for a photo among the blooms, savoring dinner under the stars or watching your children marvel at the clucking hens and quacking ducks, we hope you will make this new tradition part of your 2026 calendar.

Stay tuned on our website and social media channels for announcements, and feel free to reach out if you would like to volunteer, sponsor or vend. Let’s plant the seeds of something beautiful together!