LAWRENCE, Kan. — As Labor Day weekend kicks off, families across both sides of state line are looking for fun activities to do with each other.
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One Lawrence, Kansas, sunflower field is getting visitors from across the world! Grinter’s Sunflower Farm is expected to get thousands of visitors this holiday weekend alone.
Farmer Ted Grinter says he had no idea his sunflowers would attract thousands of visitors when he first started raising them.
“Just raise them for the bird seed, to feed the birds,” he said. “And they’re just pretty also.”
He said he’s been planting sunflowers since the 70’s and never expected it to become an international attraction.
“I’ve met people from all over the world,” he said. “One day last year within five minutes I met somebody from Australia and Germany. I’ve seen people come out from when they were babies and now, they’re having grand babies.”
People come mostly to take pictures and wander in the fields. But if you plan on spending the day there, there’s plenty to do. They’ve also got Sunflower General on site, a local shop with baked goods and other items to shop around for.
The Stipetich family is just one of countless with their own special story at the farm.
“I’ve been coming out here since I was in college, probably around 2015 or 2016 was my first year, and then we he and I met, I brought him out here,” Abby Stipetich said, while holding her second child alongside her husband. “We’ve been married since 2019 and we’ve been coming out here ever since.”
The Stipetich’s said it’s become their tradition, that they hope they can pass onto their two children.
“It’s going to be family tradition for many years to come we think,” John Stipetich said.
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