The motion was subtle but unmistakable throughout Dollie’s Farm.
Butterflies dipped and dove among the wildflowers. Occasional breezes stirred plots of Russian sage and coneflower. Baby peacocks waddle under their mother, Mrs. Bloom.
A hummingbird appeared out of nowhere, hovering for a beat before zooming away.
“We have always been so blessed as a family to have the farm, and it’s amazing to have a place where kids can run and play. This is a peaceful place that we can share with people,” said Tricia Wilson, who owns Dollie’s Farm with her husband Tim.
Nature does a waltz across the Franklin flower farm every day. Fittingly, Dollie’s Farm will host a special event Saturday supporting an organization using dance to improve people’s lives.
This weekend’s Sunflower Festival will feature vendors, food trucks, activities and more throughout the day. Take advantage of bounce houses, a scavenger hunt, yard games, raffles and face painting. A goat yoga session, for $30 per person, will be held in the afternoon, and Chicken Bone Accoustic will be feature live music.
Proceeds from the event will go to Dance Every Journey, a dance-based program that works to improve the lives of older adults and veterans.
“We’ve very grateful that Tricia has been passionate about what we’re doing, and offer to use her resources to help us,” said Katie Stahlhut, who founded Dance Every Journey.
The past 12 months have been momentous for Dance Every Journey. The Greenwood-based organization was formed in late 2022, with a goal of improving the lives of older adults and others throughout the community using movement to excel, enhance and enrich the lives of people who may sometimes be overlooked.
The program improves coordination, strength, balance, emotional and social well-being, in addition to encouraging brain and cardiovascular health, and boosting energy levels.
After starting at Demaree Crossing senior living community, Dance Every Journey has recently expanded to a second senior living community, Greenwood Village South. They’ve started offering programming for veterans through Veterans Affairs.
All of it is free of cost to the clients.
“It’s all going really well, and we’re getting some momentum, which is great,” Stahlhut said.
Still, Stahlhut was looking for ways to raise awareness for the organization, as well as raising some funds. She approached Wilson about hosting a goat yoga event at Dollie’s Farm to help raise money.
Dollie’s Farm was started in 2020. The Wilsons’ 5-acre farm features nearly 70 types of flowers and plants, everything from mint to asters to coneflowers, highlighted by row after row of lavender. In the summer and fall, they will offer you-cut options for flower bouquets — and later sunflowers and decorative pumpkins.
The farm is named after Wilson’s great-grandmother, Dollie, who lived on the farm in the early 20th century.
Once Wilson learned more about the Dance Every Journey’s mission, she knew it was a cause Dollie would have relished helping.
“My great-grandmother never dreamed that the fields she helped hand-shuck would make such a difference for other families who get to do this,” she said. “She had no idea that what she was doing for us; she actually was doing for so many other families.”
Wilson offered more than just a goat yoga session — free run of the farm to put on a festival.
“When she was talking about it, I offered her a chance to do a fundraiser on the farm,” she said. “That nonprofit needs to expand, and we wanted to use this to get the word out.”
For Stahlhut, it was an incredibly generous offer.
“She wanted us to tap into our creativity. She is giving us this space for the whole day, and we’re very, very grateful for her love and her support,” she said.
Plans started falling in place for the Sunflower Festival. Among the spaced-out beds of oxeye, lisianthus and amaranthus, people could take photographs and take in the scenic view.
Sunflowers would be everywhere, both in plots planted at Dollie’s Farm and decorating other areas of the farm.
The event is just one of many Dollie’s Farm has enjoyed on its grounds this summer, starting with a huge lavender harvest in June. People have flocked to its pastoral acres, both during open hours and for private parties. Plans are in place for a pair of autumn experiences — a Scarecrow Festival with kids games, food, music and more, and Corny Days, built around all things corn.
“We never thought we’ve had that many people for the lavender harvest, and it’s been that way all summer,” she said.
The Sunflower Festival is expected to be much of the same. Close to 40 vendors will be set up around the farm, a band will perform and kids can play in the bounce houses, get their faces painted and come away with a balloon creation.
People can sign up for goat yoga during the day, with proceeds going to Dance Every Journey. A second goat yoga session was already on the schedule for that evening, Wilson said.
“We jumped into this wanted to help this nonprofit. We’ll see what happens — we could have 300 people show up, or 3,000,” she said.
IF YOU GO
Sunflower Festival
What: A community event featuring bounce houses, a scavenger hunt, yard games, raffles, face painting, food and vendors, as well as music by Chicken Bone Accoustic. The event benefits Dance Every Journey.
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Dollie’s Farm, 3961 N. CR 425 E., Franklin
Cost: Free
Schedule
Noon: Food trucks and vendor booths open
12:15 to 12:45 p.m.: Dance Every Journey sample class (all ages welcome)
1:15 to 3 p.m.: Live music by Chicken Bone Accoustic
4 to 4:45 p.m.: Goat yoga (ticketed event, $30 per person)
