The Girls Day Out Near Albany That Feels Like the Summers You Used to Have

There is a specific kind of summer day that doesn't happen enough anymore. Unhurried. Outdoors. Beautiful. Not organized around anyone else's schedule. You remember having those. The Liberty Ridge Farm Sunflower Festival is where you go to have one again.

Four Saturdays in August (the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th), Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke opens four acres of sunflowers, a zinnia field, and the rest of its 100-acre farm property from 11am to 7pm. Live music from Harmonic Duo plays from noon to 4. The Barnyard Grill is stocked. And you leave with a sunflower bloom in hand and a camera roll that looks like summer is supposed to look.

This is the kind of afternoon that works for a group of two or a group of ten. You walk into the sunflower field and immediately slow down, because it requires that of you. You take photos of each other because the light and the setting make it impossible not to. You find a spot in the zinnias and chat longer than you planned. Someone gets food from the Barnyard Grill. You wander into the Market Barn and end up with two new home decor pieces, a few treats and a jam that’s going to make the BEST panini sauce at home.

If your group wants to make it something more structured, book a Party Cabin rental during the festival. Three hours, a private covered space, indoor and outdoor seating, overlooking the barnyard. Available 11:30am to 2:30pm or 3:30pm to 6:30pm.

Tickets are not date-specific, so you can buy as a group now and decide which Saturday works when the month gets closer. Get tickets and full details at libertyridgefarm.com/things-to-do/sunflower-festival.