Niagara Sunflower Festival for Ukraine resumes for final weekend

Joe Hube, who with the help of Bill Emslie and other members of the community has been organizing a charity sunflower festival, invites members of the public to attend the second and final week of the event on Aug. 22 and 23. All proceeds support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. - Luke Edwards photo

By Luke Edwards

This weekend will be the last chance to support a local group’s efforts to help the people of Ukraine, while taking in the beautiful colours of a massive sunflower field in Beamsville.

The fifth annual Niagara Sunflower Festival for Ukraine kicked off last weekend and resumes this weekend at the London Born Wines event centre on Walker Road in Beamsville. The brainchild of Joe Hube and Bill Emslie, the event has helped raise more than $110,000 for humanitarian efforts in the eastern European country since Russia’s latest invasion in 2022.

“We’re humans trying to help humans,” said Hube as visitors took part in a sunflower painting course while others toured the field or visited with some of the roughly 15 vendors in attendance during last weekend’s opening.

After seeing coverage of the invasion back in 2022, Hube and Emslie were inspired to do their part. And with the sunflower the national flower of Ukraine, an idea formed.

The community effort has seen London Born Wines provide their space, while Larry and Ben Dyck, of Campden Grain, have offered up their expertise to plant, maintain and harvest the crop of roughly 40,000 sunflowers.

While the focus for their festival is on Ukraine, Hube acknowledged there are many parts of the world suffering from war, poverty and hunger. One of the booths at the sunflower festival’s opening weekend was collecting money to support similar humanitarian efforts in Cuba.

The festival continues Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23. It runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3749 Walker Rd. Admission for the second weekend is free, though donations are accepted. For more information visit the Niagara Sunflower Festival for Ukrainian Relief page on eventbrite.ca.