A festival in Lane County this weekend celebrates peak lavender bloom. It's part of an Oregon-wide celebration of lavender that takes place every year on the second weekend in July.
Carol Tannenbaum, who owns McKenzie River Lavender in Walterville, said they’ve invited people to the farm since about 2010. This year, the event will include live music, as well as about a dozen craftspeople. Tannenbaum said that will include "artisans from jewelry to glasswork to different kinds of textiles. And we have a beekeeper on the property, so he will be selling his honey.”
She said, although the bees eat the plant’s nectar and pollen, the honey doesn’t taste like lavender unless it’s infused with lavender essence.
During the event, visitors will be able to walk into the lavender field to take photos, and they can pick their own bouquets for purchase.
Lavender grows well in the Pacific Northwest, Tannenbaum said, because the region's hot, dry summers are similar to the plant’s native Mediterranean climate.
The Lavender Bloom event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
