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Sights and Smells from the Oregon Lavender Festival 2009

July 14th, 2009 by Heather Anderson

 

More than 20 lavender farms throughout the state opened their doors during the annual Oregon Lavender Festival. And what a weekend for this annual fest to explore the many lavender farms of  Washington County!  During the festival you can tour lavender farms, nurseries, and celebrate with a lavender-based Artisan Fair.

First we headed out to Mountainside Lavender Farm in Scholls, which has amazing views of the Cascade Mountains. There was a good-sized crowd at the farm, who were enjoying some live classic folk music while shopping the booths featuring local artisans and lavender products.

The kids really got a kick out of picking their own lavender (“U-pick” farms make for a great distraction for younger ones).  The fresh-picked flowers are now proudly displayed on my kitchen counter. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to participate in the various ‘classes’, such as bouquet arrangement, wand and wreath making. We did have time, however, to catch a live demonstration on how lavender is distilled into oil.

Next up, was Helvetia Lavender Farm, in Helvetia, which overlooks the scenic Tualatin Valley. The farm was abundant with activity -  people were in the u-pick fields, visiting artisan booths and enjoying tea time on the deck. We made a stop by the kids’ craft area, where we made paper lavender cards. The visit was accentuated with live music from a local country/folk musician singing fun songs that left us in stitches.

The highlight of the day, as the kids will tell you, was the zip-line, where they swung through the tree lines.  How cool is that??!!

Great turnout this year, here’s to the next one!

Tags: agriculture, Arts & Culture, Events, Family Fun, farms, Helvetia, Helvetia Lavender Farm, Mountainside Lavender Farm, Scholls, washington county oregon
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