O’Keefe Flower Farm, host of the annual Sunflower Festival on its Hockinson property, is bringing an entirely new element this year: a “Rock Concert in the Sunflowers” featuring Shoot to Thrill, an AC/DC tribute band.
The concert takes place at 6 p.m Saturday, Aug. 1. It came to be as Pat and Kelly O’Keefe, fourth generation stewards of O’Keefe Farms, were discussing ways to bring new revenue and people in.
“Something to get new boots in here,” Pat said.
Kelly suggested a ticketed concert to kick off the festival. It intrigued Pat enough to ask a customer of the farm flower stand her opinion. Stephanie King, a customer buying dahlias, turned out to not only consider it a good idea, but happened to have experience promoting concerts and offered to help the O’Keefes put it on.
The result: a rock concert, set among sunflowers, with the sunset over the trees as the backdrop.
King helped the O’Keefes navigate the many elements involved in organizing a concert, including venue and production prep and band selection. She connected them to Alex Steininger of In Music We Trust PR to arrange promotion. Shoot to Thrill, the Portland-based AC/DC tribute band, is one the O’Keefes had seen live previously. When they realized the band was an option, they jumped at it.
Concert preparations and what to expect
As the O’Keefes prepare for this inaugural experience, they’ve enlisted their daughter Savannah and many of her friends from Hockinson High to help with tasks such as weeding the grounds to make them pristine for concert and festival attendees.
They’ve arranged for food and beverage vendors such as Krisey’s Kitchen, Lemon Smash, Taco Tom's Lonchera and beer and wine by Courses. The O’Keefes plan to make the concert series an annual addition to the festival if the inaugural event is successful.
The Sunflower Festival runs the first three weekends in August. “Concert in the Sunflowers” will be the sole event for the first weekend, with full activities including access to the sunflower fields, photo ops, food, music and vendors to follow Aug. 8-9 and Aug. 15-16.
Local roots
O’Keefe Farms is family owned and operated by Pat and Kelly O’Keefe. Pat is the fourth generation of family farming the land. The property was originally purchased by Pat’s great-great-grandparents, the Brown family, in the mid-1800s.
In the beginning, the family raised turkeys, grew hops, hay and grain, and also milked cows. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the farm produced grass hay and ground grain for local customers to feed their livestock. For a time, it was leased out for growing Christmas trees.
In 2008, Pat took over the farm, along with his wife Kelly and daughter Savannah. They decided to grow flowers because they didn’t want to compete with the neighbors, and there was a need for fresh cut flowers in the area.
Pat and Kelly O’Keefe both work full-time jobs: Pat repairs appliances, and Kelly works at a local hospital. The farm is a side hustle that they’ve maintained and built into a local staple and truly a community effort.
“We couldn't do this without all of the support that we get from our friends, our family, even the kids from Hockinson High School. They help with putting on the festival to weeding and helping out in the parking lot,” Pat said.
About the band
Shoot To Thrill AC/DC tribute is Portland's tribute to the Australian band, mimicking the experience.
Pat said, “They’re about as close as you can get” to seeing the original band live.
Concert details
“Concert in the Sunflowers" at O'Keefe Farms is Saturday, Aug. 1, at 5:55 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite for $24.50 each plus fees and taxes. Use promo code SUNFLOWER to save $2. This is a general admission, PG-13 event with free parking. Parents are responsible for their children. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for food and bar carts. Savannah O'Keefe performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" at 5:55 p.m. before Shoot To Thrill takes the stage at 6 p.m. The address is 17604 NE 182nd Ave., Brush Prairie.
For more information about the concert and the Sunflower Festival, visit okeefeflowerfarm.com.
