Love sunflowers? Check out this sunflower festival in Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Do you know someone who loves sunflowers? They’ll want to check out this sunflower festival being held in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Legacy Parks have teamed up for the third sunflower festival at the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area in Knoxville. The event showcasing gorgeous sunflower fields will take place Saturday, July 13.

“The sunflowers draw thousands of visitors every year and we want them to enjoy their aesthetic value while understanding their benefits to wildlife and hunters,” said WMA Manager Bill Smith.

The festival will kick off with an interpretive talk by TWRA at 9 a.m. followed by a guided tour of the Wildlife Management Area at 10:30 a.m. at 3140 McClure Lane in Knoxville.

Around 70 acres of sunflowers have been planted this year. The large sunflower fields are only visible every other year for crop rotation purposes. The fields won’t be planted again until 2021.

Directions to the Forks of the River WMA:

From I-40, take James White Pkwy exit (388A) and stay to the left to continue on James White Parkway. Cross over the Tenn. River and take the Sevier Ave./Hillwood Dr. Exit. Turn Left onto Sevier Ave. (turns into Hillwood Dr.). Turn right onto Island Home Ave. (at bottom of hill). Take the first left onto McClure Ln. just passed Ijams Nature Center. Follow signs to the WMA. A TWRA gravel parking lot is to the right at the end of McClure Lane.

For more information, call Bill Smith at 865-856-9711 or click here.