The First Annual Colorado Lavender Festival

The Lavender Association of Western Colorado is presenting its first annual Lavender Festival on July 15-17^th. There will be workshops, tours, growing tips, and vendors at this festival.

The Lavender Festival will be held in Palisades, a small town on the I-70 corridor and just minutes from Grand Junction.

Lavender is a perennial that grows well on the Western Slopes and can be used in culinary dishes as well as the garden. Lavender attracts bees and butterflies while displaying long spikes of small purple flowers. There's a gazillion types of Lavender and if you'd like to know more about lavender and the different varieties, you'll be able to do that as well as purchase plants for your garden at the Lavender Festival.

The schedule for this three-day event is as follows:

Friday, July 15^th

There will be guided bus tours to 4 different lavender farms in western Colorado. In July, these farms will be in peak bloom for lavender and there'll be grower talks where you can learn about lavender and ask questions of the people that grow this perennial. There will be a lunch featuring lavender and later during the day a wine and food reception at a winery where you'll learn how to pair wines with lavender accented dishes. Non-alcoholic lavender beverages will also be available. This is an all day event from 8AM '" 5 PM and tickets are $49. To purchase tickets or for more information, just click on this link.

Saturday, July 16^th

The Lavender Festival moves to Memorial Park in Palisades where there will be workshops, demonstrations, and a variety of vendor booths with crafts, foods, and local products. Live entertainment and music will also be provided. There will be activities for the kids and some workshops to create lavender wreaths, lavender bundles, and lavender wands. Some workshops are kid friendly. There is no general admission, however, there may be a fee to attend a workshop or seminar. The hours will be 10 AM '" 5 PM.

Some of the seminar topics include: Starting a Lavender Farm, Growing Tips and Attributes of Lavender, Cooking with Lavender, and an Aromatherapy hands-on demonstration. For a complete list, visit the Lavender Festival's website by clicking here.

Sunday, July 17th

On Sunday, you'll be able to tour the lavender farms on your own and for free. You can meet the lavender farm growers, learn some tips and tricks, and ask questions. The lavender farms will be available from 10 AM '" 5 PM. And it's free.

For more information on the Lavender Festival, you can visit their website by clicking on Lavender Festival. You may also purchase tickets for the festival on this site.

Source: The Lavender Association of Western Colorado

Image Credit & Copyright: Sandy James