News

No Sunflowers at Dix Park This Summer

May 15, 2020

sunflowers in the park

Community Safety Prompts Decision

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, City of Raleigh will not plant the 2020 summer sunflower field at Dorothea Dix Park. For the past two years, the 5-acre field of sunflowers has drawn thousands of visitors from across the city, county and beyond. As summer approaches this year, social distancing is still recommended and there is uncertainty around when mass gatherings should resume. With the health and safety of the community as top priority, and no way to limit the number of people visiting the iconic Raleigh sunflowers at any given time, the decision was made not to move forward with planting this year. Dix Park’s annual SunFest summer festival, planned for July, is also canceled. 

The sunflower field at Dix Park is a City of Raleigh inter-departmental project between Raleigh Water, Office of Sustainability and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. Stay tuned for ideas on how we can still celebrate sunflowers as pollinator habitat, a biofuel crop, and a summer botanical delight. In the meantime, add a bit of sunflower flair to online meetings and virtual chats with a Dix Park sunflower background.

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Questions? Please contact Joseph Voska, Dix Park Operations and Program Supervisor at 919-996-6688 or joseph.voska@raleighnc.gov.


About Dorothea Dix Park
Dorothea Dix Park is the site of one of the most exciting new park projects in America. 308-acre site blends historic architecture and rich landscapes into a unique destination in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina. The effort to create Dorothea Dix Park is a public-private partnership between the City of Raleigh and Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy. The City owns and operates Dorothea Dix Park. The Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support the City by serving as its philanthropic partner.