Lavender star of weekend fest

SEQUIM — If you’re looking for lavender, Sequim remains the place to go after nearly 30 years of embracing the purple, pink and white plant.

Sequim’s first lavender event, the Sequim Lavender Festival — now in its 28th year — started as a one-day event on Aug. 2, 1997.

Since then, lavender as an attraction has grown exponentially to feature the all-encompassing Sequim Lavender Weekend set this year from Friday through Sunday, with more offerings available through the summer.

For first-time and seasoned lavender-goers, there are plenty of spots for U-pick lavender and selfies in the fields.

There’s also an ample amount of lavender products available, ranging from lotions and hand sanitizers to candles and sachets to honeys and ice creams.

Nearly 20 farms will be open this summer to offer these products, vendors, music, tours and more.

This year, one of Sequim’s original lavender farms, Purple Haze Lavender Farm, 180 Bell Bottom Lane, hosted its music event a weekend early as it will be closed for a private event during lavender weekend.

However, it will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays in July, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through October.

Most farms are free to visit during lavender weekend, with Jardin du Soleil Lavender Farm, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way, hosting its own festival for a $10 admission for all three days; children 12 and younger get in free.

The farm is free to visit through the rest of the year.

Lavender Festival

The Sequim Lavender Festival brings its 28th year to Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave., for the Lavender Festival in the Park.

There will be 145 vendors along the Albert Haller Playfields with more than 120 artisans, farms and food vendors from Washington. Vendors will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The free festival is put on by the nonprofit group the Sequim Lavender Growers Association (SLGA), which also will bring back Lavenderstock with live music all three days and a street dance with Black Diamond Junction at 7 p.m. Saturday on the James Center for Performing Arts stage.

Lavenderstock stage schedule:

Friday

• 11 a.m. opening ceremony

• 11:30 a.m. At Large with Amanda Bacon and Todd Ortloff

• 12:45 p.m. Go Jaynes

• 2:15 p.m. Sweater Weather String Band

• 3:30 p.m. Jack Dwyer and Jack Tierney

• 5 p.m. Bread and Gravy

Saturday

• 10:30 a.m. Ghostlight Productions’ preview of “Jesus Christ Superstar”

• 11:45 a.m. Jean Lenke and The Therapy West Band

• 1:15 p.m. Free Rangers

• 2:30 p.m. Kozmopolis

• 4 p.m. Farm Strong

• 5:30 p.m. Reckless Dove

• 7 p.m. Street Dance with Black Diamond Junction

Sunday

• 11:30 a.m. The W Lovers

• 12:45 p.m. Backwood Hucksters

• 2 p.m. WhatEverly Brothers

• 3:30 p.m. Sound Advice

Parking for Lavender Festival in the Park is available at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 N. Blake Ave., and Olympic View Church, 503 N. Brown Road, starting at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and after 11 a.m. Sunday. Free parking also is available along city streets.

Other events

• Victor’s Lavender Farm, 3743 Old Olympic Highway, will offer free barn dances with The Backwood Hucksters on Friday and Sound Advice on Saturday, both starting at 7 p.m.

• Olympic Theatre Arts will host the last weekend of “Lavender Dreams,” a lavender melodrama at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, with tickets available at olympictheatrearts.org.

• Ghostlight Productions will offer “Jesus Christ Superstar” at Sequim High School Auditorium, 533 N. Sequim Ave., starting at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, and from at 7 p.m. July 25-27. Tickets are available at glp.ludus.com/index.php and ghostlightwa.org.

• The Sequim Farmers & Artisans Market will be open at the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

• The Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Show will display club members’ quilts and offers demonstrations, vendors, a raffle quilt and more from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., with a $5 suggested donation.

For more about Sequim lavender farms, visit sequimlavenderweekend.com.

Sequim’s lavender farms

• B&B Family Farm, 5883 Old Olympic Highway, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily through Sept. 30. Free admission. Contact: 360-504-2585, bbfamilyfarm.com.

• Cedarbrook Herb & Lavender Farm, 31 Brueckner Road, open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through July 28. Free admission. Gift shop, 120 W. Washington St., open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, year-round. Contact: 360-683-7733, cedarbrooklavender.com.

• Fat Cat Garden & Gifts, 21 Fat Cat Lane, open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Oct. 31; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Free admission. Contact: fatcatmeow21@gmail.com.

• Fleurish Lavender of Lost Mountain, 1541 Taylor Cutoff Road, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday through Sept. 2. Free admission. Contact: 360-681-2782, fleurishlavender.com.

• Gnomelicious Lavender Farm, 258914 U.S. Highway 101, Friday and Saturday: gift shop and full farm open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Self-serve U-Cut: from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Aug. 10; gift shop and full farm open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 10.

Port Townsend Gift Shop, 122 Harrison St., open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (closed for festival Friday through Sunday).

Free admission. Contact: emailus@gnomelicious.com, gnomelicious.com.

• Graysmarsh Farm, 6187 Woodcock Road, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through September. Free admission. Contact: 360-683-5563, graysmarsh.com.

• In Bloom Lavender Farms, 1526 Marine Drive, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday through Aug. 31. Free admission. Contact: 360-461-6464, inbloomlavenderfarms.com.

• Jardin du Soleil Lavender, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way, open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily throughout July; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 31, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday from October through December. $10 admission Friday through Sunday with children 12 and younger admitted free; free admission the rest of the year. Contact: 360-582-1185, jardindusoleil.com.

• Kitty B’s Lavender Farm, 82 Cameron Acres Lane, open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Monday through Sept. 2. Free admission. Contact: kittyblavenderfarm@gmail.com, kittyblavenderfarm.com.

• Lavender Connection, 1141 Cays Road, open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Monday through Labor Day. Free admission. Contact: 360-681-6055, lavenderconnection.com.

• Meli’s Lavender, 62 W. Diane Drive, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Aug. 15. Free admission. Contact: 360-461-9958, melislavender.myshopify.com.

• Nelson’s Duckpond & Lavender Farm, 73 Humble Hill Road, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays. Free admission. Contact: 360-681-7727, nelsonsduckpond.com.

• Old Barn Lavender Company, 9785 Old Olympic Highway, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Friday through Sunday through Aug. 18. Free admission. Contact: oldbarnlavendercompany@gmail.com, Oldbarnlavendercompany.com.

• Olympic Bluffs Cidery and Lavender Farm, 1025 Finn Hall Road, Port Angeles, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday through September or by appointment. Free admission. Contact: ginger@olympicbluffscidery.com, olympicbluffscidery.com.

• Purple Haze Lavender Farm, 180 Bell Bottom Lane, closed Friday through Sunday for a private event. Open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays in July, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday through October. Free admission rest of the year. $3 charge to park through mid-August. Contact: 360-809-9615, purplehazelavender.com.

• Rain Shadow Lavender Farm, 1410 Kitchen-Dick Road, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday through Aug. 15. Free admission. Contact: 360-809-9613, rainshadowlavenderfarm.com.

• Rancho La Morada Lavender & Flower Farm, 1430 Marine Drive, open in summer. Free admission. Contact: 360-461-7679, facebook.com/Lavandamorada.

• Sunshine Herb & Lavender Farm, 274154 U.S. Highway 101, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through summer. Free admission. Contact: 360-683-6453, sunshinelavender.com.

• Victor’s Lavender Farm, 3743 Old Olympic Highway, open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and daily through Aug. 21; barn dances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Free admission. Contact: 360-681-7930, victorslavender.com.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.