Question: what do Sequim, Washington and the Provence region of France have in common? For starters, latitude. That’s what Sequim’s dairy farmers realized nearly 25 years ago.
Faced with retiring their declining dairy businesses for something more profitable, these farmers looked to the world for other commercial products they might cultivate. Their discovery? Sharing roughly the same latitude as Provence gave them the idea to try their hand at a very famous French crop: lavender.
Fast forward to today. This summer’s Sequim Lavender Festival celebrates its 22nd year. More than 30 lavender farms are now a thriving part of its community. Sooooo wonderfully picturesque!
There are many things to do and enjoy at this summer party. And the farms—visiting all festival activities (and fields) in one weekend would make one’s head spin, so we narrowed it down just a little. Also, we needed to allow for a bit of travel time…
The ferry
Located on the northern side of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Sequim is actually closer to Canada than it is to Seattle. Rather than stick to land and circle the Puget Sound, we decided to cut across the water via the Edmonds-Kingston ferry route. (For Washington State ferries, it is tourist season, so there’s usually a bit of a wait.)
We took our place in the queue, inching our car along every so often, until we passed the ticket booth. About an hour after docking at Kingston, we reached our destination.
The festival
Arriving at the Holiday Inn Express, lavender greeted us outside and in. The grounds were alive with lavender, and the lobby featured small bundles of the dried flower—free for the taking. Talk about aromatherapy!
The Sequim Lavender Street Fair—located at Carrie Blake Community Park—featured free parking, and over 150 craft and lavender booths. As for live shows, artists and other performers took to the stage, entertaining patrons throughout the day and into the evening.
Where to begin…? Our first full day at the festival, we made it a point to start early. This proved a wise decision, as the free parking lot filled quickly. We wove through the rows of food and craft vendors, circling back to those who spoke best to our interests. The sunshine was in a hurry to begin the day as well, reaching into the 80s by noon.
Eager to see a lavender field or two, we soon turned our attention to the farm map. Our choice?
The farms
Offering free admission during the festival, 16 lavender farms opened their doors—and fields—to the public. (Three of the largest farms charged admission, but provided free shuttle service from the park to their fields.)
We decided against waiting for the shuttles, in part because we packed our city patience, but also because a few of the street fair vendors recommended one farm in particular: B&B Family Lavender Farm.
Rustic beauty awaited us, along with about 10,000 lavender plants. The fields were buzzing with more than just honey bees; u-pick customers, photographers, admirers and employees alike could be seen amongst the purple, pink and white flowers.
The gift shop was packed with patrons. Tours of their processing facility began every 15 minutes. I love tours! And free is a great price. As an added bonus, Bruce—one of the owners—was our guide.
Time for a pop quiz. How many lavender plants does it take to produce 5 ounces of oil? Approximately
- 1 plant
- 5 plants
- 10 plants
Answer: 10 plants. That’s quite a few lavender buds. Bruce let us know that at B&B Family Lavender Farm, each oil they produce features a single variety of lavender; they do not mix their oils.
Another bit of noteworthy trivia: only English varieties of lavender, like Angustifolia, are used for culinary purposes. French (and other) varieties are used primarily for fragrances or ornamental arrangements. There are approximately 47 known types of this versatile flower, so… what to cook with? When it comes to lavender, just remember this simple rule: the English can cook; the French can’t…
Switching gears a bit the next morning, we found a very colonial setting at the Washington Lavender Farm. Also home to the George Washington Inn—a gorgeous bed & breakfast overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca—this property greeted us with wild flowers, bright daisies, and lavender (of course), all serving as lovely decorations for the inn—a replica of Virginia’s (and the real George Washington’s) very own Mount Vernon estate.
And just in case we needed to brush up on our knowledge of America’s first elected president, George Washington historian Vern Frykholm (looking every bit the part) recanted just a few lessons learned by our famous American Revolutionary War’s commander in chief.
Noticing the sign reading “Cooking demonstration,” we made our way to the inn’s kitchen. Chris, one of the owners (and resident chef) walked us through how to make Blueberry Lemon Lavender Scones. Sharing her baking tips with us (like using a cheese grater for hard butter, or a pizza cutter for shaping scones), we marveled at how quickly—and deliciously—she assembled this wonderful and seasonal pastry.
The food
If ever you find yourself in the mood for a doughnut while awaiting the next Edmonds-Kingston ferry—and you have the ticket booth in your line of sight—you’re in luck! Top Pot Doughnuts & Coffee faces vehicles near the head of the line, ready to take your sweet-treat and caffeine order. Enjoy your selection there, or take it to go. (They also feature clean restrooms for their patrons. This can be a big deal if you’ve been in the ferry line for awhile…)
Adjacent to Sequim’s Holiday Inn Express, we discovered Black Bear Diner. One of a chain, this location has localized itself to be truly a part of the community. The newspaper menu talked about events in town, in addition to listing several tasty choices for our dinner. Their gift shop featured items crafted by local artists—and local lavender farms.
We dined there our first night, then placed a to-go order online with this diner our second night, just so we could enjoy dinner on our hotel’s rooftop terrace. The food was delicious both evenings, as well as reasonably priced.
Our hotel stay included a daily breakfast—hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea and juices. Perfect! We used the available food trays to tote our morning meal up to the terrace both days. (Averaging only 15 inches of rain per year, planning a rooftop meal in Sequim is a fairly safe bet.)
There was no shortage of food and beverage vendors at the festival itself: espresso, paella, burgers, lemonade—just to name a few—many advertising lavender enhanced menu items.
Heading home, we found Cup & Muffin near the Kingston ferry terminal. Yummy sandwiches and sweet treats—and coffee too. We placed a phone order to go, then picked up our lunch once we had secured our place in the Edmonds-bound ferry line.
As festivals go, Sequim’s Lavender Festival proved to be a wonderful choice. The people—volunteers, farmers, vendors and hospitality employees—all were proud of their town’s success: turning their farms into fragrant, profitably purple (and pink and white) businesses, while keeping their agricultural industry a very big part of the community.
We definitely want to return to this annual event. In fact, we’re already looking forward… J 🌞
The Ugly Scarf 