Sequim Lavender Weekend expected to host thousands of visitors

SEQUIM — If you’re looking for the full lavender experience, Sequim will be the place to be this weekend.

Some 18 farms and nurseries will open and dozens of events planned during Sequim Lavender Weekend this Friday through Sunday.

But before you go, 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 from 10 a.m. to 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 will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The fair will feature a street dance from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, live music throughout the weekend as part of “Lavenderstock,” and a Festival for Fun for children 12 and under. For more information, see http://www.lavenderfestival.com/.

A few more farms also offer free entry with some offering music and demonstrations. These include:

• B&B Family Farm, 5883 Old Olympic Highway; open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; https://www.bbfamilyfarm.com/.

• Lost Mountain Lavender, 1541 Taylor Cutoff Road; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; http://www.lostmountainlavender.com/.

• Martha Lane Lavender, 371 Martha Lane; open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; https://www.marthalanelavender.org/.

• Meli’s Lavender Farm, 62 W. Diane Drive; open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Sunshine Herb &Lavender Farm, 274154 U.S. Highway 101; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; https://www.sunshinelavender.com/

• The Lavender Connection, 1141 Cays Road; open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; http://www.lavenderconnection.com/.

• Victor’s Lavender, 3743 Old Olympic Highway; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; http://victorslavender.com/.

If you’re looking to spend more time and open to paying to visit bigger farms, four farms are offering a plethora of activities for a paid admission.

• Purple Haze Lavender continues its Purple Haze Daze at 180 Bell Bottom Lane, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $10 pre-sale and $12 at the gate. Children 12 and under will be admitted free and a shuttle runs from QFC at 990 E Washington St., to the farm.

Live music will be performed all day at the farm. Creme Tangerine, a Beatles tribute band, will play at 5:30 p.m. Friday while Geoffrey Castle will perform at 5 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday https://purplehazelavender.com/.

• Washington Lavender Farm, 939 Finn Hall Road, will offer its Washington Lavender Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all weekend for $8 per person pre-sale or $10 per person at the gate. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.

A variety of music including the Sequim City Band Clarinet Choir is planned from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and the band’s Saxophone Quintet from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; http://www.walavender.com/

• Jardin du Soleil, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way, and Olympic Lavender Heritage Farm, 1532 Marine Drive, will continue its two-for-one $10 admission per person to both farms all weekend.

Children 12 and under will be admitted free. The free shuttle continues from the Museum and Arts Center on Sequim Avenue and Fir Street.

Both farms will 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. http:www.jardindusoleil.com, facebook.com/olympiclavender.

If you’re looking for child-friendly events, Murray says Lost Mountain Lavender will offer llamas to pet, Jardin du Soleil will have camel rides and the Boys &Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula will host 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 says and she recommends consulting the various guides available.

For Sequim Lavender Weekend, she recommends visiting www.sequimlavenderweekend.com or www.visitsunnysequim.com. For more about lavender farms, see http://www.sequimlavender.org/.

The Peninsula Daily News/Sequim Gazette’s “Sequim Lavender Weekend” special section is available at all the farms, local businesses, the Visitor’s Information Center, Street Fair Information Booth, and online at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsuladailynews.”

Free shuttles will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday from JCPenney, Sequim Middle School, QFC, the Sequim Lavender Festival Street Fair and at the Second Avenue and Washington Street intersection west and eastbound.

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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 mnash@sequimgazette.com.