Sunflower Summer Returns with Free Admission for Kansas Families
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the return of the popular Sunflower Summer program for the 2026 season, and invited Kansas families to explore the state’s wide variety of attractions. Kansas residents with school-aged children from pre-K through 12th grade are eligible to participate.
“Sunflower Summer is an opportunity for Kansas families to explore, learn and create lasting memories together right here at home,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “It opens the doors to our state’s vibrant communities and ensures our children can experience and fall in love with all that Kansas has to offer. We are proud to provide this program for another year and excited to see the adventures that will unfold.”
The program, which will run from July 9 to August 2, covers admission costs for eligible students and one adult guardian per participating attraction. Participants must be Kansas residents to qualify for free tickets, which are accessible through the Sunflower Summer app and redeemable upon arrival at participating locations.
“Each year, we see families creating traditions through Sunflower Summer while discovering places they may have never experienced before,” Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe said. “This program removes barriers to travel, encourages Kansans to explore their own backyard, and helps connect families to the people and places that make our state unique.”
Kansas Tourism is now accepting applications from attractions interested in participating in the 2026 season. The list of participating attractions for the 2026 program will be announced in June.
Learn more about Sunflower Summer here.
About Kansas Tourism:
The mission of Kansas Tourism is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive economic and other impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. Kansas Tourism works hand in hand with other Commerce community programs to elevate and promote Kansas as a tourist destination. Kansas Tourism oversees all tourism marketing and PR for the state, produces travel publications and advertising, manages state Travel Information Centers, manages both the Kansas By-ways program and the Kansas Agritourism program, approves tourist signage applications, produces KANSAS! Magazine, and provides financial and educational support to the tourism industry in Kansas through grants, education, and support.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
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