Visiting Illinois’ Sunflower Festival In Hebron Is A Great Summer Activity

While many summer festivals in Illinois showcase the corndog-and-Ferris wheel nostalgia we know and love, some of the best festivals are rather a feast for the eyes and a carnival for the senses. This breathtaking sunflower festival in Hebron, Illinois — which sees visitors get lost in groves of sunshine-y stalks — proves exactly that. Spend any time of the day here and you'll quickly start to wonder if you're actually in a painting or a wonderful dream.

For the fourth year now, Von Bergen's Country Market, 9805 IL Rt. 173, has put on its stunning Sunflower Festival in the tiny McHenry County village of Hebron.

The farm can be accessed just 2 miles east of Rt. 47, or 6 miles west of Rt. 12.

The festival runs from early July when the first blooms arrive and typically runs through September, when the farm then switches over to its Pumpkin Festival. Flower admirers can explore over 30 acres of fields filled with towering sunflowers, including strolling through two sunflower mazes.

Admission is $12 per person and kiddos under 3 are free. The festival is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, though there are sometimes extended night hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Not only is the farm buzzing with visiting people, but the flowers attract a number of native pollinators like bees and butterflies.

A huge benefit of the festival is its variety of photo opportunities, with a number of backdrops, props, and settings staged throughout the fields specifically for fabulous snaps. As you can imagine, the festival is a popular spot for proposals, engagement photos, and family portraits.

Particularly in the evening, as the sun sets over the flowers, the lighting is perfect for capturing unforgettable photography.

Visitors can also enjoy a field filled with colorful zinnias — a favorite of mine. Guests can also opt to peruse through the U-Pick sunflower and bouquet fields to take home their very own fresh-cut collection.

And while you're there, don't forget to check out the farm's other offerings — like its produce market, animal farm and play area, and the Farm Kitchen eating area, where you can grab a meal or snack from locally sourced foods.

So, would you add this sunflower festival in Hebron, Illinois to your summer bucket list? Do you have another go-to summer fest? Tell us in the comments! Start planning your trip and get your tickets by checking out the Von Bergen's Country Market website and the Von Bergen's Country Market Facebook page — especially the Von Bergen's Sunflower Festival Group. And if you're interested in yet another Illinois festival where yellow produce is the star of the show, make sure to stop by the DeKalb Corn Festival!