Destination SunFest: Everything you need to know about the Dix Park sunflower festival

Destination SunFest will celebrate summer, sunflowers and the renovation of Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.

Posted 2:21 p.m. Jul 11, 2019 — Updated 10:52 a.m. Jul 12, 2019

Jessica Patrick

, WRAL digital journalist

RALEIGH, N.C. — Destination SunFest will celebrate summer, sunflowers and the renovation of Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.

Date and time

The free, family-friendly festival will be held at on Saturday, July 13 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dix Park's address is 2105 Umstead Drive, but cars will not be able to park at that address. Guests will park off-site and walk or ride to the event.

Parking

All entrances to Dorothea Dix Park will be closed to cars on Saturday with no parking permitted. Guests are asked to park on N.C. State's Centennial Campus with a free parking shuttle running between the parking lots and the festival.

Shuttles will run between 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. The parking lots can be accessed from Centennial Parkway (you can access Centennial Parkway from Lake Wheeler Road and I-40 or from Avent Ferry Road).

Parking will not be allowed at Dix Park on Saturday during SunFest. Instead, guests should park at NCSU's Centennial CampusCredit:

Parking is not allowed at the event site. Patrons are welcome to walk from the parking lots to the festival. Bike and scooter parking will be available at the soccer field parking lots on Hunt Drive.

Is admission free?

The event is free. No tickets are required to attend, but organizers ask that guests planning to attend RSVP online so the park can estimate how large the event will be.

What about the food and events?

Activities and rides (like the Ferris Wheel, carousel, fun slide, swings, inflatables and all crafts) are free. Vendors will be selling local beer and food on-site, but picnics, water bottles and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed.

Food vendors include: Spanglish, Queso Monster NC, Poblanos Tacos, Gussy's Greek, Jay's Italian Ice, BaguetteAboutIt, Qspresso, Lake Pine Brusters, Brooklyn Boys Pizza, Mr Softee Wake, Taco Grande, Hotcakes and Chicken, Jam Ice Cream, Beefy Buns and Curry in a Hurry.

Breweries include: Lynnwood, Carolina Brewing, Trophy Brewing, Bull City Ciderworks, Compass Rose, Fortnight, Raleigh Brewing and Big Boss.

What is allowed?

All ages
Picnics, blankets and lawn chairs
Small coolers and non-alcoholic beverages
Water bottles

What is not allowed?

Dogs and other pets
Drones
Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes

List of activities

Activities include amusement park rides, putt putt, bubble and water play, airbrushed body art, balloon twisting, an upcycled craft project, an art activity, yard games like cornhole and Connect 4 and more.

Guests can also meet Raleigh firefighters and police officers, stroll through the 5-acre sunflower field, watch the City of Raleigh make biofuel diesel from harvested sunflowers and take a historical hayride around the Dix campus.

There will be live music and entertainment from 2:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Africa Unplugged, The Sunday Special, Hammer No More The Fingers and 120 Minutes.

Will there be sunflowers?

Yes, but not as many as spectators will remember at the park this time last year. On Monday, six days before the festival, Sky 5 flew over the field, which was vibrant and green with yellow blooms scattered throughout.

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