Residents and visitors of Salisbury, N.B., took part in the first annual New Brunswick Sunflower Festival on Friday. Hosted by Green Pig Country Market, known for its annual corn maze – it’s a new and sunny delight.
"Everybody loves a sunflower,” says Green Pig Country Market employee, Steven Gallant. “So we thought ‘what a great idea to plant a six-acre field of sunflowers – all different shapes and sizes – and open it up to the public so they can come enjoy them and take some beautiful pictures.’"
Originally scheduled to happen a week earlier, the event was postponed due to a harsh Spring.
“It was the coldest, wettest, spring we've had in N.B. in a long time,” says Gallant. “So we struggled to get our field in. When the plants did come up, they were not very happy.”
However, after five weeks of precise planting and proper conditions, the sunflowers bloomed – with 250,000 blooms expected when they reach their peak.
The field’s scenic outcome has attracted many people near and far to the beautiful and picturesque festival for photos with friends and family.
“Instagram, Facebook, whatever they're doing – this is the spot to do that,” says Green Pig Country Market owner, Dawn Corrigan. “Walk through the flowers, enjoy nature and the bees and get a great pic for the gram.”
And visitors couldn’t agree more.
“When you come to the end of the field, and you look back and see all of the blooms pointing to the sun – it's quite beautiful," says visitor Rachel Vienneau-LeBlanc.
Aside from taking pictures, visitors also had the chance to take sunflowers home with them as another way to commemorate the event. And despite the temporary nature of the blooms, Corrigan says their charm and delight is enjoyable nonetheless.
"They're beautiful, they brighten everything up,” says Corrigan. “I mean, they don't last forever, but when they're here, they're just gorgeous."
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Eilish Bonang
