If you’re looking for the full lavender experience, Sequim is the place to be with 18 farms/nurseries open and dozens of events across the area this weekend.
But before you take on Sequim Lavender Weekend July 21-23, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
Resident lavender expert Melissa Murray at the Sequim Visitor Information Center, 1192 E. Washington St., said the number one question she’s asked is “which farm do I want to go to?”
“They want me to tell them where to go but I tell them each farm is distinctive and special,” she said. “It kind of depends on what you’re looking for.”
If free is your thing, the Sequim Lavender Growers Association continues its 21st Sequim Lavender Festival Farm Tour this weekend with free entry to six farms and one commercial nursery open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.
• Blackberry Forest, 136 Forest Road
• Earth Muffin Lavender, 2333 Woodcock Road
• Fat Cat Garden & Gifts, 21 Fat Cat Lane
• Graysmarsh Farm, 6187 Woodcock Road
• Kitty B’s Lavender Farm, 82 Cameron Acres Lane
• Nelson Duckpond & Lavender Farm, 73 Humble Hill Road
• Peninsula Nurseries, 1060 Sequim-Dungeness Way
The association also continues the free street fair with more than 100 food, craft, art and agricultural items including lavender on Fir Street between Sequim Avenue and Third Avenue. It runs from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The fair features a street dance from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, live music throughout the weekend as part of “Lavenderstock,” and a Festival for Fun for children 12 and under. www.lavenderfestival.com.
And more …
A few more farms also offer free entry with some offering music, demonstrations and more. These include:
• B&B Family Farm, 5883 Old Olympic Highway; open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Lost Mountain Lavender, 1541 Taylor Cutoff Road; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Martha Lane Lavender, 371 Martha Lane; open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Meli’s Lavender Farm, 62 W. Diane Drive; open 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunshine Herb & Lavender Farm, 274154 U.S. Highway 101; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The Lavender Connection, 1141 Cays Road; open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Victor’s Lavender, 3743 Old Olympic Highway; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
If you’re looking to spend more time and open to paying to visit bigger farms, four farms are offering a plethora of activities too for a paid admission.
• Purple Haze Lavender continues its Purple Haze Daze, 180 Bell Bottom Lane, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for $10 pre-sale and $12 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free and a shuttle runs from QFC to the farm.
Music plays all day at the farm and Creme Tangerine, a Beatles tribute band, plays at 5:30 p.m. Friday night and Geoffrey Castle plays at 5 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Purplehazelavender.com.
• Washington Lavender Farm, 939 Finn Hall Road, Port Angeles, offers its Washington Lavender Festival from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. all weekend for $8 per person pre-sale or $10 per person at the gate. Children 12 and under free. A variety of music runs all day at the farm too including the Sequim City Band Clarinet Choir from 4-6 p.m. Friday and the band’s Saxophone Quintet from 2-4 p.m. Sunday. www.walavender.com.
• Jardin du Soleil, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way, and Olympic Lavender Heritage Farm, 1532 Marine Drive, continue their two-for-one $10 admission per person to both farms all weekend. Children 12 and under remain free to enter and the free shuttle continues from the Museum and Arts Center on Sequim Avenue and Fir Street. Both farms offer music all-day, all weekend with some of the highlights including Jardin’s Jungible Music Series with the Olympic Express Big Band at 7 p.m. Friday night, and Joy in Mudville playing Olympic’s Rock the Land Trust at 6 p.m. Saturday. www.jardindusoleil.com, facebook.com/olympiclavender.
Farms, like Purple Haze, remain open between regular daily hours and scheduled nighttime events.
Traffic advisory
Due to the McDonald Creek Bridge closing for construction, travelers are encouraged to drive on U.S. Highway 101 and go north on Barr or Shore roads to access Victor’s Lavender and Washington Lavender.
More Info
If you’re looking for child-friendly events, Murray says Lost Mountain Lavender offers llamas to pet, Jardin du Soleil offers camel rides and the Boys & Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula has an area at the Street Fair.
If you’re looking for beer/wine to sip in the lavender fields, three of the four pay-to-visit farms offer it and only a few free farms offer it.
Each farm offers something different and for more specifics, Murray recommends consulting the various guides available.
For Sequim Lavender Weekend, she recommends visiting www.sequimlavenderweekend.com or www.visitsunnysequim.com.
The Sequim Gazette/ Peninsula Daily News’ “Sequim Lavender Weekend” is available at all the farms, local businesses, the Visitor’s Information Center, Street Fair Information Booth, and online at www.sequimgazette.com under “green editions.”
Free shuttles run from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday from JCPenney, Sequim Middle School, Sequim Lavender Festival Street Fair and the Second Avenue and Washington Street intersection west and eastbound, and QFC.
LavenderStock Music stage
Friday, July 21
• 11 a.m Opening Ceremonies with Dr. Mac
• 11:30 a.m. Ranger and Re-Arrangers
• 12:45 p.m. Kate Powers and David Rivers
• 2 p.m. The Crocs
• 3:15 p.m. Tekla Waterfield
• 4:30 p.m. Kevin Magner and Scott Bradley
• 5:45 p.m. Twisted Roots
Saturday, July 22
• 11 a.m. Gary Stroutsos
• 12:15 p.m. Katrina Axtell Duo
• 1:45 p.m. Joy in Mudville
• 3 p.m. Caribe Steel Band
• 4:15 p.m. Honeyville Rascals
• 5:30 p.m. Jim Faddis and Cort Armstrong
• 7-9 p.m. Free Street Dance with Black Diamond Junction
Sunday, July 23
• 11 a.m. Stringology
• 12:15 p.m. Derik Nelson & Family
• 1:30 p.m. Tanga
• 2:45 p.m. WhatEverly Brothers
• 4 p.m. The Cat’s Meow
A few other Sequim area events:
• Art Jam 2017: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Rock Hollow Farm, 505 E. Silberhorn Road, rockhollowarts.com.
• Jazz in the Alley with Blue Skyz: 5-7 p.m. Saturday, 219 W. Washington St., www.brokersgroup.com.
• Olympic Driftwood Sculptors: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Sequim Middle School cafeteria, 301 W. Hendrickson Road, olympicdriftwoodsculptors.org.
• Puffin Marine Cruise: 6:30-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, John Wayne Marina, 2577 West Sequim Bay Road. http://dungenessrivercenter.org.
• Sequim Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sequim Civic Center Plaza, 152 W. Cedar St., sequimmarket.com.
• Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Show: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4p.m. Sunday, Sequim Middle School, 301 W. Hendrickson Road, sunbonnetsuequiltclub.org.
• Victor’s Barn Dance with Joy in Mudville: 7-10 p.m., Friday, Victor’s Lavender Farm, 3743 Old Olympic Highway, victorslavender.com.
Dancers surprise visitors with a flash mob to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t stop the felling” at last year’s Sequim Lavender Festival’s Street Fair. The Street Fair runs this year July 21-23 on Fir Street between Sequim Avenue and Fifth Avenue. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash
Bruce McCloskey, co-owner of B&B Family Farm, shows visitors on July 16 lavender that will go in pillows and other items. McCloskey and other lavender farmers are preparing for Sequim Lavender Weekend July 21-23, which features more than a dozen farms, the Sequim Lavender Weekend, and much more. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Mike Cassidy of Issaquah bundles lavender for his wife Monica on Tuesday at Jardin du Soleil. It was the couple’s first time at a lavender farm and they visited after hiking Hurricane Ridge. “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do,” Monica said. Sequim Lavender Weekend runs July 21-23 throughout Sequim. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
