Sunflower Farm Music Festival returns on May 4

A field of blooming sunflowers will be the backdrop for the 2024 Sunflower Farm Music Festival on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The iconic Maui event will be hosted at the family farm of Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King in Maui’s Central Valley.

The Sunflower Farm Music Festival is an agricultural education event with a farmers’ market, farm tours and entertainment. The farmers’ market includes produce grown on Maui and items that were produced using agricultural products grown, raised, or caught in Hawaiʻi. Learn about sustainable agriculture and the circular economy while participating in a farm tour of the Maui Sunflower Farm. Admission includes all day access to the farmers’ market, a farm tour, educational opportunities to learn about sustainable agriculture from speakers and local nonprofits, and music throughout the day.

Event producer Kerry Brown curated this year’s star-studded lineup, which includes the Licorice Pizza All-Star Band featuring multiple Rock & Roll Hall of Famers: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Co-Founder of Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers) , Al Jardine (Co-Founder of The Beach Boys), Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit), Slim Jim Phantom (Co-Founder of Stray Cats), Russ McKinnon (Tower of Power, Joe Cocker), Carmine Rojas (David Bowie, Rod Stewart), Larry Dvoskin (Sammy Hagar, Bad Company), Jennie Vee (Eagles of Death Metal, Palaye Royale), and Kerry Brown (Catherine, Smashing Pumpkins). Additional high-profile Hawai’i musicians include Tavana, Marty Dread, Gretchen Rhodes, Gail Swanson and Pito & the Kid.

General Admission tickets for this third annual benefit event are $100 each; 100% of the profits will benefit the following Maui-based nonprofits focused on supporting local farming and helping grow Hawaiʻi’s food security: Maui Hub, Common Ground Collective and Grow Some Good.

Additionally, a “VIP Experience” hosted by Brown and film producer Stacey Sher on May 3 will be joined by the artists playing the festival in an intimate setting and will feature culinary masterpieces crafted by Hawaiʻi chefs using locally sourced ingredients. The exclusive VIP Experience is available for $250, which includes admission to the festival the following day.

Brown was drawn to this event to help support food security in Hawaiʻi. “Coming together and collaborating on causes we believe in – that’s what music culture is all about and that’s what our Maui community is about,” Brown said, who was involved in last year’s event that raised funds and awareness for Hawaiʻi Food Hub Hui and Manaʻo Radio.

This year’s festival will once again be recorded to produce a limited-edition vinyl record. Each person who purchases a ticket to the event will receive a copy of the record compliments of Licorice Pizza. Attendees from last year’s event will receive their limited-edition vinyl record at this year’s event.

Parking is a $5 car cash donation at the gate and will benefit the American Red Cross, whose Maui chapter volunteers will help staff the event and medic tent.

Capacity is limited and tickets must be purchased online in advance. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to Eventbrite.