SEQUIM — Sequim’s busiest days are here so prepare your sunglasses, satchels and selfie sticks for the Sequim Lavender Weekend that begins today.
This year marks the 20th year of the Sequim Lavender Festival, put on by the Sequim Lavender Growers Association.
In addition to free self-guided farm tours, the growers association will host a street fair featuring more than 100 food, craft, art and agricultural items on Fir Street between Sequim and Third avenues.
It will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Between the Sequim Lavender Festival, farms affiliated with the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association and independents, 17 farms are open for visitors, some offering free admission and others charging a fee.
That’s not counting more than a dozen community events and countless businesses with their own special events and promotions, too.
The name Sequim Lavender Weekend was created by the city to encapsulate all of the lavender-related events.
The city has compiled weekend events at the websites for Sequim Lavender Weekend at www.sequimlavenderweekend.com or www.visitsunnysequim.com.
Mary Jendrucko, executive director of the Sequim Lavender Festival, said local farmers’ efforts during the past 20 years have helped introduce lavender to the United States.
“Now you see it in all these products, and years ago, you never saw that,” she said.
As for the festival’s sustainability, she said “through all the ups and downs, we’ve put on a first-class event people want to come to.”
Sequim’s rainshadow is likely to keep the rain away through the weekend, and one farm has been there rain or shine for 20 years.
Longtime tour destination
Purple Haze Lavender Farm is the only farm, even after doing its own event for the second year called Purple Haze Daze, to remain on the tour since 1997.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t doing lavender,” said Purple Haze owner Mike Reichner.
Since he bought the property in 1995, it’s quickly grown into one of the go-to places for Sequim lavender.
General manager Vickie Oen handles the day-to-day operations now, but as a Sequim native, she said being a part of the lavender phenomenon is amazing because lavender wasn’t around when she grew up in the area.
“Now I can go places, and people know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said.
Reichner said lavender as a whole gives the community something to associate with.
Farmers Association
Jordan Schiefen, president of the farmers association, said the group of five farms isn’t doing anything collectively for the weekend. All are offering events as individual farms.
She said the association’s intent is to promote its lavender farm members year-round.
Her farm, Jardin du Soleil, works with Olympic Lavender Heritage Farm to offer individual festivals for a joint ticket price all weekend.
“Because we’re next to each other, it makes senses [to partner],” she said.
“It gives people a little bit more of an experience. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from partnering.”
She added that individual events have allowed farmers “to do more of what we want to do.”
Members of the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association include Jardin du Soleil, Lost Mountain Lavender, Martha Lane Lavender, Olympic Lavender Heritage Farm and Washington Lavender.
Farms and a commercial nursery on the Sequim Lavender Growers Association’s free tour include Blackberry Forest, Earth Muffin Lavender, Far Cat Garden & Gifts, Graysmarsh Farm, Kitty B’s Lavender Farm, Nelson’s Duckpond & Lavender Farm and Peninsula Nurseries.
Several farms remain independent and unaffiliated.
Relatively new to lavender, Bruce McCloskey, co-owner of B&B Family Farm, is participating for the third time in Lavender Weekend after buying the former Angel Farm.
“We’re excited to see people get excited about lavender,” he said.
His son-in-law Zion Hilliker and co-owner of the farm said his family’s goal after moving from San Diego “was to share more of the educational parts and behind the scenes.”
“When we decided to bring our family here, we had good jobs in San Diego; we quit them and went for it,” he said.
For this weekend, McCloskey said, they keep it simple with no music or food vendors.
“We’re just a low-key, relaxed farm,” he said.
Activities vary at each farm. Some like Purple Haze are going big, some simple like B&B Family Farm and others seeking middle ground like at Victor’s Lavender.
Victor’s Lavender co-owner Maribel Gonzalez said they are adding live music through the weekend and a free barn dance tonight from 6 to 9 with Joy in Mudville. It’s one of a handful of musical events that night.
She said looking back at the previous years of the festival and weekend, there are a lot of emotions from it all.
“It’s a big deal,” Gonzalez said. “An honor.”
A Sequim Lavender Weekend special section is available at lavender farms; Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, 1192 W. Washington St.; the street fair; and at various businesses. See it online at www.peninsuladailynews.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 mnash@sequimgazette.com.
