The Countdown Begins

As hard as it is to believe, dear reader, we are rolling into August. August is a busy month for us during a "normal" year, if there is such a thing. We spend three weekends of August in Columbiana, Ohio, at the Shaker Woods Festival. This year will be no different. However, rather than a brief lull to recoup and recover, we will jump right into the sunflower maze events. I'm both excited and anxious for this new endeavor. I have a lot planned, and pulling it off without a hitch has me lying awake at night trying to be ten steps ahead of all potential pitfalls. Overthinking is what I do well. 

I believe I have pretty cool ideas planned that are unique for the two weeks of peak sunflower time. Now that we are one month out, I will share those ideas with you. As always, I appreciate your feedback and welcome any suggestions to create a successful experience. 

Our maze will include four "rooms" that are hidden throughout the maze. Each room will have a theme and offer photo-worthy settings, a bit of educational information about that room's theme, and a hidden clue for a scavenger hunt option. There are 8-10 dead ends, and each dead end will be outfitted with a vignette for photos, interaction, and fun. The dead ends will also hide a clue for the scavenger hunt. 

During the hours of 11-5, we will host a daytime family-friendly maze. On Saturday, August 29th, is the opening day of the maze and our farmer's market on the farm. You will be able to enjoy the maze, shop with our vendor friends, and make a day of spending time at the farm. From 7:30 to 10:30, we will host a flashlight maze where attendees can enjoy the maze after dark with flashlights and glow sticks as their guide. We will offer glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets as well as small flashlights. Food trucks and drink carts will be available for a full experience.

Throughout the week leading up to the grand opening, we will host three ticketed events. I am hosting a Silent Reading Book Club in the Sunflowers. This is a new idea for me, but it seems to be very popular. For this event, we will offer a swag bag with sunflower-scented soap and moisturizer, quiet snacks, and book-related items, with drinks and more substantial snacks provided by Kenna's Kreations. I love my girl, Kenna! We will have a small curated group of vendors set up for shopping everything to create a pleasant reading experience at home. Think cozy teas, delightful candles, blind date with a book, fresh flowers, living house plants, and gourmet snacks.

We will also offer Yoga In The Sunflowers. I am thinking early morning or sunset yoga, swag bags, healthy snack and drink options, and a freshly picked sunflower. More to come on this. We have an exciting partnership opportunity in the works, so I will share more on that when all is finalized. 

Lastly, we are planning a paint-and-sip event in the sunflowers. What could be more lovely than sipping good wine and learning to paint sunflowers in the middle of a sunflower field? A beautiful sunset, the peaceful backdrop of the farm, sunflowers during the golden hour, with wine and charcuterie. It's a perfect girls' evening or date night.

We are also opening our sunflower maze and photo backdrops to photographers during the week and evenings. Jordan is having her senior pictures taken in the sunflowers and around the farm. As the sunflowers fade, the wildlife will move in. We are hoping to invite bird watchers and wildlife photographers in to capture this unique progression in the fields.  

Haley Renee Photography will be photographing shelter animals to improve their odds for adoption. We will also be doing fundraiser days and nights where a portion of the proceeds go to local charities. 

Debbie Greygor is our maze photographer. Debbie will be capturing memories throughout the field for us, and she will have a permanent photo booth set up for individuals, couples, families, and friends to have professional photos taken on site. 

It's all very exciting, and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our new on-farm experience. We have a lot to do, but when it's fun, it doesn't feel like work. I just hope and pray I can get it all done! 

Please spread the word about our upcoming sunflower maze. We will soon be blasting social media with all things sunflower. Brace yourself for sunflower overload. On this beautiful Wednesday, stay safe, be smart, make plans to join us in the sunflowers, and keep washing your hands.