Photos courtesy of Candace Monaghan
Have you ever wondered what the largest sunflower festival and vendor show on the East Coast looks like? Now is your chance to find out! The Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival, located in Buchanan, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this September with 10 days of blooming beauty, community fun, and exciting new features.
Each fall, thousands of visitors travel to this small family-owned farm in Botetourt County to witness a breathtaking field of 700,000 sunflowers in full bloom. From scenic hayrides and photo ops to over 130 handmade craft and food vendors, the festival has grown into a must-see regional event – now recognized as the largest sunflower festival and vendor fair on the East Coast.
Beaver Dam Farm has deep agricultural roots. Purchased in 1900, it became a tomato cannery in 1916, a dairy farm in 1927, and today is a working beef cattle operation that also sells hay and straw. The sunflowers began as a simple idea.
“Back in 2015, we had an open field, and my father said out of the blue, ‘I’m going to plant sunflowers,’” recalls Candace Monaghan, the festival’s founder. “There was no other reason than he thought they were pretty.” The following year, Candace opened the field to the public, expecting 300 visitors. Instead, 1,600 people showed up that day. The festival has since grown to welcome more than 20,000 visitors annually, and in 2023, the family launched Gracely Hill, a wedding and event venue overlooking the farm.
An independent economic study estimates the festival and its related businesses generated $1.4 million in local impact in 2023.
To mark its 10th year, the 2025 festival will feature several exciting additions, including:
– Live release of 300 painted lady butterflies
– 94.9 Star Country live remote on opening night
– A special edition sunflower beer in partnership with AFOG Brewing (release event: Saturday, August 16 in Buchanan)
– A limited edition coffee roast in partnership with Asunder Coffee
– The release of children’s book, From Seeds to Sunshine: Our Farm’s Journey, written by Candace Monaghan
– The moving Field of Heroes tribute: 406 American flags with name tags honoring first responders lost on 9/11
– Collector sticker packs of all nine past festival T-shirt designs
– 2026 Sunflower Calendars
– Flyover experience from Blacksburg/Roanoke Airport over the sunflower fields
The festival will run September 5-14. Tickets and full event details are available at www.BeaverDamSunflowers.com.
~ Submitted by Candace Monaghan
