Sunflower festival hosts report thefts
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
The Schwirian family brought smiles to thousands of faces over the weekend when they opened their home and farm in Forward Township to the public for the first time.
Leslee Schwirian and her husband, Jay, decided to hold their first sunflower festival in response to the dark times surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leslee estimates more than 2,500 visited their farm Saturday and Sunday, but some were not respectable guests.
Several residents, some who have been identified, were caught stealing blossoms from the rolling fields.
During the festival, the family sold flowers at a tent on the property, along with other oils and products.
Families and couples, along with photographers from throughout the region, were permitted to take pictures of the fields or hold impromptu photo shoots for free.
A Charleroi couple got engaged on the property and another Mon Valley couple had a wedding ceremony.
“We are a small farm family who saved hundreds of dollars to purchase these sunflowers, spent time planting them and maintaining the fields,” Leslee said on the farm’s social media page. “Owning a farm isn’t easy — or everyone would own one.
“Offering free admission to everyone — that’s unheard of, but here we are allowing anyone into our field for free.”
To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Wednesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.
