The seeds were sewn, but Mother Nature had other plans for the Thompson-Okanagan鈥檚 only sunflower festival.

Less than two weeks before the gates were set to open, Bloom Flower Festivals made the difficult decision to cancel.

鈥淲e planted our sunflowers in mid-July, but their growth was stunted by the ongoing drought across the province,鈥� said Alexis Szarek, founder of Bloom Flower Festivals. 鈥淭he thick smoke further hindered their growth.鈥�

Two months after planting, Szarek says the tallest sunflowers are only calf-high and have stopped growing. For a sunflower to bloom, she adds, the flower should be nearly triple the height.

The decision to cancel the sunflower festival falls on the heels of Bloom鈥檚 tulip festival, which was cut short in May due to the heat wave.

鈥淭his hasn鈥檛 been the year we were hoping for,鈥� said Szarek. 鈥淏ut our fingers are crossed and we鈥檙e looking forward to a great season next year.鈥�

Bloom Flower Festivals will be in contact with ticketholders with more information in the coming days.

For updates and more information about future events, visit the farm online and follow Bloom Flower Festivals on social media.

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