Some days, the sun and the clouds align, and you load your family up into the car to drive winding roads to a little Heaven on earth called the Wye Mountain. And then? Well, you unload from your car and frolic through fields of daffodils at the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival.
The Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival is one of those quirky Arkansas events which basically gets scheduled via word of mouth and social media – only once the daffodils have begun to show themselves.
We always know the festival will be in the time range of March, but the exacts weekends are unknown until those yellow beauties break through the ground. There is a Facebook page which the event organizers use to update visitors of the opening weekends.
It had actually been a while since we visited the daffodil festival. Our own girls had never even been.
Scooter Britches and Little One had the best time running and exploring in the fields.
The organized mom (ahem…a bit of sarcasm there) that I am lately, I had not even planned out outfits for the girls or myself despite the fact that this festival is typically a mecca for family photos.
Luckily, my parents came into town the evening before. Mom surprised each of the girls with a new patchwork dress. She had planned to make them some new patchwork dresses herself. Then, she happened upon these adorable ones from TJ Maxx.
The girls were so excited Abuelito and Abuelita got to come along for our flowery adventure.
Patchwork dresses – check.
As for me, I grabbed my favorite sweater from my closet and threw on a pink layering tee so I could coordinate with the girls.
Tips for Attending Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival
- Bring cash for food at the food bar and for purchasing small bundles of daffodils and other flowers on your way out.
- The event is free, but the church does accept donations for their efforts and for keeping the event going. Again, bring some cash.
- Plan your arrival time so that the sun will be agreeable with your photo-taking efforts. Do not attempt to take photos of your family at high noon on a sunny day or you will be disappointed! Plan to arrive earlier in the morning for photos. The festival is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Speaking of photos, be patient and willing to move around for just the right shot. With large crowds attending the festival, it can be hard to get just the right shot without people in the background. Just refer to some of my photos above!
- Do not bring pets unless your pet is a service dog.
- Parking is free, but be prepared because parking gets a little crazy on the mountain!
- Be sure to explore the barn which houses an arts and crafts fair.
- Do not be tempted to pick the flowers! Like I mentioned, you can purchase your own bundles near the gate.
- The organizers post daily photos of the fields during the festival time frame. You can check these photos to decide if there are enough flowers blooming to make your trip worthwhile.
- Also, organizers allow people onto the property even after the festival is over. Again, they post daily photos for a while so you can see if there are enough flowers still in bloom.
Why You Should Attend
One of the volunteers working the event escorted us into the daffodils and gave us a little background. He said there are over 30 varieties of daffodils planted on the seven-acre field.
We spotted some old trees which were part of historic preservation efforts. SB and LO had almost as much fun playing around this old tree as they did looking at “fowers.”
I love the folksy vibe of the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival, which started over 40 years ago as a church fundraiser. There is an arts and crafts barn ripe with handmade art and church cookbooks. The air smells of barbecue from the food bar. At certain times, there is live music. If you ever go, you might want to take a little extra cash to pay some of the vendors – like the face-painting lady.
Donations are encouraged with proceeds going to Wye Mountain United Methodist Church, a small church which hosts the festival. Otherwise, the festival is free and makes for a wonderful family event.
For more information on the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival, visit the Wye Mountain Facebook page.
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Hannah | Make, Do & Push
Gosh! What a lovely place to visit 🙂 I love the patchwork dresses!
Thanks for linking up to #ALivelyStyle xx
Jenni
Oh my goodness the girls look stunning. Love your jumper aswel x #alivelystyle
Sonia Cave
The dresses look beautiful on the girls as do the daffodils!
Karen Hannah
What an adorable event! I absolutely love it! The girls dresses are beautiful and you clearly just had the most wonderful day. #alivelystyle
Surrey mama
Looks like a lovely day out and beautiful outfits! #alivelystyle