If you’re looking for the perfect Summer family activity, this is it! This past weekend I took my kiddies and my mom to Von Thun Farms Sunflower Festival in Washington NJ, and it was a Day! I didn’t think we would have as much fun as we did, especially when my only intention was to go berry picking and go home. But I was delightfully surprised. With all there was to do, Kenzie, my super energetic 7 year old, surely kept me busy.
THINGS TO DO:
There’s so much to do here, you’ll need most of the day to enjoy all the farm has to offer. There’s Peach and Berry picking (other fruits and veggies are offered at different times throughout the year), flower and Sunflower picking (where you can pick and make your own flower bouquet), a sunflower trail with over 15 photo opp stations throughout, food trucks, vendors, live music, animals (that you can feed), games, a hayride and face painting!
Each week they have different themed activities including Pick and Paint and Barnyard Buddies for the kids, how fun! But despite the theme for the day, this venue makes for a wonderful family day trip, or even a cute date with that special someone 😉.
PRICING
I purchased our tickets online at $19 / pp for entry (at the door, it’s $2 more). When purchasing online, you’ll have the option to buy ‘U-pick’ Flower tickets, which allows you to pick your own flowers and take them home in a cup, mason jar, or vase at additional costs. I added a Bouquet to my ticket which was $25 and a cup to the girl’s ticket for an additional $5. During the week, admission starts at $14.
The food trucks have their own pricing, but most meals start at around $10; you can bring your own food as well. Surprisingly, we didn’t buy anything outside of ice cream and lemonade. I think we were so busy running around that we forgot to eat. We definitely worked up an appetite for when we got home though!
If you want to feed the animals, you can purchase food from their shop for $1.
Everything is included in the price of entry except for food, fruit & flower picking, and items in the shop.
* Quick note*: You may or may not need to pay to pick the sunflowers, but you didn’t hear that from me….. Now, you do get a marked ticket specifying that you’ve paid for flower picking, both regular flowers and Sunflowers. It’s recommended that you pay for at least the regular flowers, as you’ll get something to put them in (a cup, vase, or jar). However, for the Sunflowers, once you’re in, there is no way of knowing if you paid to pick them, as no one is checking in the field or when you exit. — The catch though is that when you pay to pick the sunflowers, you’re given a pair of small garden scissors, as they’re not easy to rip off the stem. You can either ask for a pair either way or bring your own. **** Garden scissors have a deposit of $10. If you don’t have cash, you can leave collateral such as your car keys, like most people did including myself.
THINGS TO KNOW:
• There is plenty of free parking on site. But depending on how crowded it is, it could be a nice walk from your car to the entrance.
• Strollers are allowed anywhere on the farm, except on the hayride. You’ll have to leave it at the drop-off/ pick up location (but don’t worry, it’s safe). The hayride is also not wheelchair accessible. Be advised though, that you’ll be doing plenty of walking and the trail is all dirt and a bit bumpy. So for some, pushing a stroller could be a nuisance and it’ll get dusty.
• When you book your tickets online, the time slot you pick doesn’t matter. I assume you’re made to choose a time of entry so that everyone isn’t trying to enter at once, but when you arrive, none of that matters. We were running about 15 minutes late and I was worried that it was going to set us back in some way. But nope! The time you arrive doesn’t matter at all.
• There is a second farm location in South Brunswick, but that location does not house Sunflowers. So be mindful when booking.
THE TAKEAWAY:
• A fun way to spend your day either with friends or children of any age.
• You’ll do a lot of walking, so be comfortable!
• We had so much fun, and would more than likely go back for the Fall, when there’s even MORE to do!
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Have you visited Von Thun Farms? Would you?
TTYL,
LEXI 💋
