As the school holidays draw to a close, three sunflower fields across Northern Ireland are offering locals and tourists alike a golden opportunity this Bank Holiday weekend.<br /><br />From Loughgall to Portglenone and Donaghadee, fields of sunflowers have been drawing thousands of families, tourists, and photographers alike with trails, viewing spots and a last chance to capture that perfect summer photo.<br /><br />In Loughgall, George & Tommy’s Sunflower Field – located at 33 Ballytyrone Road – opened last week and has already welcomed hundreds of visitors. The field is open daily from 10am to 9pm through Monday, August 25, with the potential to stay open a few extra days due to high demand.<br /><br />William Gilpin of Gilfresh Produce, explained: “My sons George (4) and Tommy (2) planted around 175,000 sunflower seeds during late May/early June and have been watching them grow everyday since.<br /><br />"Thanks to the great weather, we saw about 150,000 sunflowers bloom – it’s been an amazing sight.”<br /><br />The field is free to enter, with voluntary donations supporting Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. So far, over £5,000 has been raised, with hopes to exceed £8,000 by the end of the week.<br /><br />William explained: “We’ve seen a steady flow of visitors, in their hundreds at least, come through the gates and we were planning to keep open until Bank Holiday Monday. However due to the demand we might stay open an extra few days.<br /><br />“We would like to thank family, friends, neighbours and the local community for all their support and urge everyone to come along, walk through scenic trails, snap photos from the viewing platform, and pick your own flowers to take home.”<br /><br />Visitors are encouraged to bring their own cutters if they’d like to pick sunflowers, although pre-cut flowers are available at the gate.
