By now, any Sea to Sky local with an Instagram account is probably familiar with the sight of a Pemberton meadow filled with thousands of blooming sunflowers. Beginning this August long weekend, you can head to Spud Valley to see those fields of gold for yourself.
Laughing Crow Organics is bringing its beloved sunflower maze back to The Beer Farmers for a fifth consecutive summer. Guests are invited to wander through more than 100,000 sunflowers planted next to the brewery when the maze opens to the public on Friday, Aug. 4.
The idea sparked in 2018, when Laughing Crow co-founders Kerry McCann and Andrew Budgell heard about a sunflower farm in Ontario that opened its gates, only to be overrun with visitors.
That was the same year the Millers flung open the doors to a taphouse on their fourth-generation family farm, where they've served lagers and ales brewed from organic barley grown on the property under The Beer Farmers banner ever since. It's also the same year McCann and Budgell started operating their venture from the 15 acres of farmland they lease from the Millers, five years after a shared enthusiasm for organic vegetable farming drew the pair to plant Laughing Crow Organics' first seeds in 2013.
“We knew we could grow something like that, and we have the right space through our partnership with The Beer Farmers to ensure it is a great experience for everyone, year over year," McCann said in a release.
The result? An Instagrammable attraction that's become one of the corridor's favourite summer photo ops.
The farmers' goal with the sunflower maze "is to connect people with the land,” said McCann, but “Instead of food, the harvest here is the amazing memories guests make on the farm.”
The maze will open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 8324 Pemberton Meadows Rd. It's expected to stay up-and-running until around the end of August, or whenever the flowers wilt. Typically, sunflowers stay in bloom for between two and three weeks, but Laughing Crow planted the maze in two waves to extend its lifespan. Guests can also expect to find photo stations, raised viewing platforms, interpretive signs, and poetry hidden between the stalks.
The maze includes five varieties of sunflowers, "from the classic bright yellow everyone loves to deep browns and burgundy,” McCann explained. Laughing Crow also opted to reorient the long rows this year to allow for better views of Mount Currie, she added.
Entry costs $9 per person, and is free for kids under three. Tickets must be purchased online, and are valid for entry anytime during opening hours on the selected date. The sunflower fields are pet-friendly, but dogs must remain on-leash during their visit. The Beer Farmers brewery and Miller's Fries food truck is open daily from noon to 8 p.m.
After those petals fade later this year, Laughing Crow will reopen the sunflower fields—with a spooky twist. The maze will transform into a "spine-shilling haunted attraction" at the end of October. Dubbed "The Field of Screams" and designed by Pemberton local Lisa Bishop, all proceeds from the Halloween maze will benefit a local charity.
