Here’s the official statement from the city:

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, City of Raleigh WILL NOT plant the 2020 summer sunflower field at Dorothea Dix Park. For the past two years, the 5-acre field of sunflowers has drawn thousands of visitors from across the city, county and beyond. As summer approaches this year, social distancing is still recommended and there is uncertainty around when mass gatherings should resume. With the health and safety of the community as top priority, and no way to limit the number of people visiting the iconic Raleigh sunflowers at any given time, the decision was made not to move forward with planting this year. Dix Park’s annual SunFest summer festival, planned for July, is also canceled.

The sunflower field at Dix Park is a City of Raleigh inter-departmental project between Raleigh Water, Office of Sustainability and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. Stay tuned for ideas on how we can still celebrate sunflowers as pollinator habitat, a biofuel crop, and a summer botanical delight. In the meantime, add a bit of sunflower flair to online meetings and virtual chats with a Dix Park sunflower background.

I wish they could give out the seeds for free to anyone who wants to grow some! I think it would be SO COOL to have a bunch of sunflowers popping up around town!

JUD