BILLINGS — The third annual Sun and Celosia Flower Festival returned to the Billings West End for its second weekend, brighter and bigger than ever.
Check out the vibrant flowers from the third annual Flower Festival:
Thousands flock to the sea of sunshine on the corner of Shiloh Road and Grand Ave. to snap photos, pick their own bouquets, and soak in the floral beauty that has become a summer staple for many in the community.
Related: Second annual sunflower festival brings thousands to Billings West End
All of it started with a seed of an idea when Billings native and mother of three, Aubrey Hopkins, had a desire for more things to do in the city during the isolation of the pandemic.
"When we were all locked up in our home, we started with a little egg carton of sunflower seeds on our windowsill, and I would grow sunflowers with my kiddos," said Hopkins.
She planted the first seeds of the sunflower field in 2023 after leasing the land. Despite having what she describes as a "brown thumb," it took a combination of research and sheer determination to bring the dream to life.
"I was not a natural gardener growing up, but with a lot of research and just getting my hands dirty, honestly, has been a lot of trial and error," said Hopkins. "Rolled up my sleeves and started our first event three years ago.”
Related: 'Dream come true': Billings woman's sunflower field ready for inaugural festival
Now, the Sun and Celosia field is filled with thousands of golden sunflowers and colorful zinnias, the newest addition to this year's festival. Hopkins plants everything by hand starting in May, and each flower is eventually cut down at the end of the season.
“I have always loved sunflowers. Also, they're kind of the easiest. They're one of the easiest flowers to grow, but everybody loves sunflowers," said Hopkins. “It's a little bittersweet when I cut them all down, (but) I know that I'll get to spend more time with my family."
The festival now features vendors, food trucks, shaded seating, and plenty of open space to gather. Hopkins said the improvements each year, from landscaping to amenities, are all community-driven.
“We have improved over the past couple years," said Hopkins. "I just have so many plans for the future, and it's just going to continue to grow and get better every year too."
For friends Carol Welch, Mary Roberts, and Betina Johnson, who visited the field on Saturday, attending the festival has become an annual tradition and a source of creative inspiration.
“I'm going to take this home now and paint them and submit them to the YAM Art Auction," said Welch.
“It's a great day. A beautiful day to spend with friends," added Johnson.
For Hopkins, the project has bloomed into a place for community and unforgettable moments.
“We actually had a proposal like right here last weekend," said Hopkins. "It was very sweet, so I hid behind the sunflowers and watched. It was pretty cool.
The field is also deeply personal, as her young children help with planting and harvesting, and the vital lessons that come along with it.
"They've helped plant things, and then I think they get to see the rewards of patience and reaping what you sow," said Hopkins. "I think it's a priceless lesson to teach them."
Despite any challenges, Hopkins said seeing the community enjoy her space is a payoff for hard work, effort, and a lot of passion.
“I would have never imagined that those little seedlings in that little egg carton would have grown into something like this today,” said Hopkinds. "It feels like sheer will and determination sometimes gets you there."
Like her flowers, Hopkins is determined to keep coming back season after season, because when a dream is planted and tended to, it can grow into something beautiful.
"Even though there are really, really hard days and I have to pick myself up off the ground so many times, I think I'm a toddler and I bounce right back and five minutes later, I'm like, 'I'm going to do this again, and I love this so much and I'm going to continue,'" said Hopkins. "I think I found something that I really love that I will do for the foreseeable future.”
The Sun and Celosia Flower Festival continues on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $10, and guests can pick five flowers; children under 7 get in free and can pick two.
