How To Visit Tulleys Sunflower Festival – My Experience

Picture this: endless fields of golden sunflowers stretching as far as the eye can see, their cheerful faces turning towards the sun. Sounds dreamy, right? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll find at Tulleys Sunflower Festival! As a neighbour of Tulleys, I couldn’t help but visit this experience on their opening weekend. In this article, I’ll share my experience and give you all the tips you need to plan your own sunflower-filled day out.

How to Get to Tulleys Farm

Tulleys Farm is conveniently located near Crawley, making it easily accessible from central London. You can reach it by train in just over half an hour – talk about a quick escape to nature! The nearest train station is Three Bridges, which has direct connections from both London Victoria and London Bridge.

Once you arrive at Three Bridges, you have two options to get to Tulleys. You can hop on bus number 84, which runs every couple of hours and costs just £2. If you prefer a quicker route, a taxi will set you back around £10. For those taking the bus, I recommend checking the schedule online to plan your trip smoothly.

Tickets To the Tulleys Sunflower Festival

Here’s a hot tip: book your tickets online and do it fast! Weekends tend to sell out quickly, as they limit visitor numbers to ensure everyone has a great experience. After all, who wants to be lost in a crowd when you’re trying to lose yourself in a sea of sunflowers?

When booking, you’ll need to choose a time slot. Try your best to stick to it, or you might find yourself turned away at the gate. Weekday tickets are £8, while weekend visits cost £10. Each ticket includes a sunflower you can pick yourself – how cool is that? Keep in mind that children over 3 pay the same as adults.

For those seeking a more magical experience, Tulleys offers sunset visits on select dates. Imagine wandering through the fields as the sun dips below the horizon, with live music playing and food stands nearby. These evening tickets are slightly pricier at £11-£12, depending on the day, but the atmosphere is well worth it.

What to Expect At the Sunflower Festival

I visited Tulleys Sunflower Festival on their opening weekend, and let me tell you, it was a sight to behold! The weather gods smiled upon us, blessing us with warm sunshine – perfect for capturing those Instagram-worthy shots. Earlier that day, my friends and I had stumbled upon a private sunflower field during a hike in the South Downs. While we could only admire those from afar, it just heightened our excitement for Tulleys.

Compared to the Tulip Fest I visited in April, the sunflower fields at Tulleys felt much more expansive. This is fantastic news for visitors – you can truly lose yourself among the towering blooms without feeling like you’re in a crowd. Scattered throughout are quirky photo props, and there’s a relaxation area with food and drink options for when you need a break from all that flower-gazing.

We arrived fashionably late in the afternoon, and it felt like we had hit the jackpot. With only a handful of other visitors left, it was almost as if we had the entire sunflower paradise to ourselves!

The Sunflower Fields

Prepare to be wowed – Tulleys’ sunflower fields span an impressive 12 acres! During the first weekend, not all flowers had opened their faces to the sun, but I bet by now it’s a sea of yellow and… red! Yes, you read that right. I was surprised to learn that sunflowers come in shades of crimson too.

At the entrance, we were each handed a pair of garden shears – our golden ticket to picking the perfect sunflower souvenir. Pro tip: wait until the end of your visit to snip your chosen bloom. These beauties tend to wilt quickly, though they perk right up once they’re in water.

While you can’t exactly frolic through the dense rows of flowers, the sight is still breathtaking. And don’t worry about the busy bees buzzing around – they’re far more interested in the pollen than in you. As a gardener, I was actually relieved to see so many bees, given how few I’ve spotted in my own veggie patch this year.

If you’re lucky, you might catch the wandering acoustic musicians, their melodies adding an extra layer of magic to your sunflower adventure.

Photo Props

Calling all Instagram enthusiasts! Tulleys has gone all out with photo opportunities. From the iconic love panel (offering a heart-shaped glimpse of the fields) to vintage cars and motorcycles, there’s a perfect backdrop for every style. Get ready to flood your feed with sunny snaps!

Food and Drinks

All that flower-gazing is bound to work up an appetite. Luckily, Tulleys has you covered with a variety of tasty options. Fancy a BBQ? How about some tacos? You’ll find a shed selling everything from flatbreads and footlongs to hotdogs and fries. There are even special menus for the little ones. To wash it all down, head to the cocktail bar, grab an ice cream, or perk up with a coffee from the on-site hut.

Souvenir Shop

No festival experience is complete without a little retail therapy. At the exit, you’ll find a charming souvenir shop bursting with sunflower-themed goodies. From practical items like tea towels and water bottles to cuddly teddy bears and eco-friendly seed bombs, there’s something for everyone. They’ve even thought of our four-legged friends with a dedicated pet section!

If one sunflower just isn’t enough (and let’s be honest, can you ever have too many?), you can purchase extra stems for £1.5 each. It’s the perfect way to bring a little piece of summer sunshine home with you.

So there you have it – your complete guide to the Tulleys Sunflower Festival. Will you be visiting this year?

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