"A" for effort! I hadn't gotten embroiled in the political side of things since I don't live in the…read morearea and I flew to Washington primarily based on this festival (I'm from Hawaii). I know there's some kind of feud going on between the flower factions of this-and-that but it didn't stop me from going. There's not a whole amount of information out there about the Lavender Festival so I had to do some digging before I went (mainly via Youtube) but I was pretty amazed at the collaboration and effort that goes into making this festival a reality. This is a large-scale operation that involves not only the main town but the outskirts as well: The main festival is located in downtown in Sequim. Parking is tight as the other reviewers have mentioned but I pulled into the heart of it and paid a $10 fee in a private dirt lot. When you are limited on time, you just gotta pay. It was very hot and I wasn't sure if I'd be buying a lot of things and didn't want to lug them down several blocks, so I paid for the convenience, which I didn't mind. There are a lot of vendors: food, drink, rocks, lavender stuff, flea market junk, hippie new-age stuff, crystals, plants, clothing, etc. It's like your typical farm fair. FOOD: I was really hoping to try a bunch of exotic lavender-flavored items since I've read about their lavender flavored shrimp in year's past but all I encountered were some lavender cocktails (delish) and lavender ice cream from Olympic Mountain (blew my socks off). As far as real food was concerned, it was a wash. I ordered a veggie plate from a local "Thai" vendor and it was terrible. Seating was very limited in the shade around the food stations. There was a lot of seating in and around the booze tent but it was under the hot sun, no thanks. The kid and I ended up sitting on a bunch of hay bales under a tree eating our ice cream. The kid had to wait outside of the tent while I sucked down my French Connection ($8). Toilets were porta potties scattered about the premises. The other half of the festival is on the outskirts of Sequim and some of it overlapping into Port Angeles in the various lavender farms that participate during the festival. I found out which farms were free by snagging a free periodical left in the hotel lobby and decided to visit them during the festival. Due to limited time, I couldn't visit all the festivals I had desired, so I stopped at strategic ones along the way (they deserve their own ratings). No matter if you are visiting the farms or the festival downtown itself, be sure to slather on the sun screen, take a bunch of cash, water, wet wipes and plan on meeting at common spot if anyone gets lost. I'll be coming back that's for sure. Despite whatever is going on between the War of the Lavenders, I'm grateful that this festival lives on and I am hoping it won't go away any time soon. I can imagine this festival means a lot to the economy of Sequim and its surrounding towns and I'd hate to see it dissolve due to disagreements on how it should be run. Long Live Lavender!!

"An alluringly scented festival showcasing everything handmade, unique, and lavender."…read more Sequim home to the annual Lavender Festival and draws hundreds if not thousands of crowds. Lavender farms around the area are open for tours (some require an entrance fee) and sells bundles of freshly cut lavenders and other novelty items. Each farm is different and the uniqueness definitely adds to the character of each location. Make sure to grab a Lavender Festival guide map for a detailed list of farms around the area. The Street Fair is located in downtown Sequim on Fir street. Parking can be tricky and I suggest early attendance to secure a reasonable spot. Admission is free and the fair does allow dogs on the premises. Food options are decent and the live entertainment is a nice touch. Here are the farms we visited in our quest to see the lavenders: Graysmarsh - Cash only. Options of lavender and raspberry picking. Pets not allowed. Abundance in parking however no gift shop. Fat Cat Farm - Diverse gift shop and very friendly service. Only $5.00 for u-pick lavenders and the farm grounds are simply picturesque. Dogs are allowed however mind the free roaming chickens. Cards accepted and minimum of $10 purchase. Lavender connection - Smaller gift shop however they offer a "create your own scent." There are some seating areas for tired travelers. The owners were very ice and personable. Oliver's Lavender Farm- Not as much of a crowd compared to other farms. Small gift shop located in the back of the main house and offers a good selection of various lavender products. Martha's Lane - Ice cream shop features lavender flavors. I tried the white chocolate raspberry lavender ice cream. The texture was simply amazing and the taste was a perfect marriage of raspberries, sweetness, and lavender. They also offer various types of lavenders and each row is labeled for convenience. No pets allowed as this farm is organic certified. They have a fantastic gift shop with an abundance of lavender themed items. Beware as this shop can inspire sudden gift giving. Victor's Farm - Parking was full and the farm is very popular. There were more items in the gift shop and visitors can view the process of drying out the bunches of lavenders. Make sure to walk around to the back of the farm. Live music, lavender lemonade, and seating areas makes this a wonderful pit stop. The lavender festival is a good tourist/weekend activity for all ages. Excellent community and the staff from all of the farms were helpful and pleasant.

We've been wanting to come to the crab fest for years and finally made it up in 2025. They have a…read morenice outdoor setup with lots of vendors and big tents for the main event (the food!). Thought the prices were outrageous - I believe I paid $72 for 1 dinner! That gets you a crab, a corn cob, and slaw. Crab was good, as was the corn. Slaw was terrible - no flavor. We also got food from other vendors in the tent, including mexican (it was ok) and a couple small crab cakes that came with a flavorless slaw (not worth it for $22!). Afterwards, we were still hungry and wandered around town to get more food. We also took advantage of the weekend's free entry to the marine life center, which was awesome and our kids had a great time. I don't think we'll be back simply because the cost is too high for what you get and we weren't blown away by the food itself.

Fabulous festival, beautifully run, dedicated and friendly volunteers, well selected and diverse,…read morecraft and food vendors, excellent dining and music spaces, very walkable, and beautiful setting. Loved this fun Friday at the festival.

Luminara is a wonderful free annual festival that occurs on a Saturday in July at St. Ann's…read moreAcademy. This lantern festival attracts between 15,000-20,000 people. The festival features installation art, costumed performers, and lots of lanterns. Kids will love Luminara and so will adults.

We came this weekend to Victoria specifically because we had lucked into this annual Festival on a…read moreprevious visit and were really impressed. However, this year the published times did not match the venues nor the performers. So we ended up seeing the same performance over and over. And apparently the venue in the Inner Harbour has nothing to do with the Festival and the performances that we saw there were just as good if not better.

A must see, they have 7 stages, shows start at 12pm and finish at 10pm. Street performers and they…read moreare great at what they do.

Small farmers market that is held on Saturdays in May through October. Located downtown with easy…read moreaccess. Came here once this summer with a friend. Got there when it first opened. They had social distancing in effect. Had amazing treats there for breakfast. Someone was selling pizza but it was 10 am so we passed on that. The variety of things being sold was varied. Besides fruits and vegetables, vendors were also selling masks, jewelry, art, honey, shells, lavender, crafts and flowers. Downside is that the vendors weren't required to wear masks, so some didn't have them.

I'd been meaning to stop by this Farmers Market for years and finally had the opportunity this year…read morebefore they close for the wintery months! There is a good mix of fresh produce and small business/crafts/artists with their wares for sale. Everyone was really nice and it felt like a welcoming community. It was a nice open air space that had ample room to space yourself away from others. In stark contrast to the more crowded and darker recessed Farmers Market in Port Angeles this one was airy and had more room for various vendors to set up within. It is ADA accessible and wheelchair friendly - something you may only otherwise appreciate when you are incapacitated!

Great fun. Many items beautiful day wish it was 2 days…read more Great weather was great to be out

This is a review for the 34th annual Shipwreck Days Festival 2015 at Anacortes, where it is held…read moreevery year and my primary reason for visiting Anacortes in July. It is a massive community effort by the vendors, residents, businesses and the Fidalgo Island Rotary who make this thing come true every year, which is a gigantic feat, considering the massive city blocks this antique show/craft fair/arts fair/garage sale occupies. This interesting festival was born 34 years ago when commercial fishermen started selling their used gear as yard art on Commercial street. Perhaps a few of them started bartering fishing nets and other gear as well, attracting all sorts of curious onlookers who in turn started selling their used stuff and so on and so on. You can find EVERYTHING here. Plants, baked goods, old antiques, crafts, toilet seats, crappers on wheels, junk, handicrafts, paintings, beads, statues, old toys, street performers, rubber ducks, foam skeleton heads, mannequins, and yes, even fishing nets. Toilets via porta potties that line each side street. Park on the street and walk. It is very hot in July. Take a rolling tote or else face the wrath of bringing back everything by hand like I had to do - back and forth to the car and back in the sweltering heat. Slather on the sunscreen. Take some bottled water or buy the lot of water available by street vendors for $1.00 Go early, although we went as it just opened and it was still a human sardine garden with people bumping you every which way. Protect your wallet as well. Eat lunch at Gere A Deli right on Commercial Street. There is a long line but the food is so worth it!

I need to admit I wasn't expecting much from this festival, but I was pleasantly surprised! First…read moreof all this is a HUGE festival by area standards. Size-wise it probably rivals the big Ski-to-Sea Festival in Fairhaven, and I found the vendors to be much more local and much more varied, which was nice. It sits literally right on the Anacortes waterfront, with breathtaking views over the marina toward snow-capped Mt. Baker. This was a postcard-worthy place to hang out on a sunny June day! There was a heavy emphasis on locally-produced crafts, art, and food and less of the "commercial" type booths which seem to be mounting a takeover at other festivals. There was also a HUGE Corvette show going on right next to the festival, which gave the hubby something to do while I surfed the jewelry and housewares booths. We also enjoyed the beer garden, hosted by local Anacortes Brewery - they had 5 different varieties of beer on tap, plus several wines. Next door was a robotics demonstration put on by local students, which was super fun to watch! While we pretty much attended this festival by happenstance, I would definitely add this to my "first weekend in June" calendar in future years. Note: get there early to sign up for the free boat rides offered by the local yacht club!

What a wonderful annual event celebrating an era and ethnicity! Poulsbo is normally a small yet…read moreadorable "Norwegian themed" town that has deep roots in this culture and is doing everything it can to keep the traditions tied to it alive. This VikingFest occurs yearly in May and involves the entire town. The people are kind and the foods are fabulous. We tried 4 different meat pies and can't tell you which we liked best! It was set up perfectly with the carnival and rides set away from the entertainment, craft, and food vendors that were located near the marina, which kept the lines down. We even attended the Lion's fundraiser Pancake Breakfast on Sunday! It was great. Yummy pancakes, eggs, sausage, etc.! All breakfast funds are going towards the Lion's scholarship. (I was a recipient back when I attended college in the Dark Ages, so please help out this group if/when you can!) Highly recommend this festival that runs Friday afternoon through Sunday.

I love Viking Fest! The weekend is a fun time and no matter whatever day you go, you'll likely…read moreenjoy yourself. Not only do you get to explore all the little shops in downtown Poulsbo, there are many little vendors set up along the waterfront. They range from the same old people that show up at every festival in Kitsap to people specializing in things like drinking horns. They have a carnival ride area that runs throughout the weekend. On Saturday during the festival there is a parade that is a lot of fun to watch. The "vikings" may not be the most authentic, but it is a lot of fun. There is a viking village where you can learn from the people that staff it and are set up in tents and wearing traditional clothing. The stage is filled with all sorts of entertainment throughout the weekend.

Fantastic lavender farm experience starting with the free visit and tour of the lavender growing…read moreprocess and products. Great farm shop as well to support local. Very family friendly activity for a hour or two in Sequim, WA

What a great family farm to visit and learn about lavender from soup to nuts! We chose this farm…read moreprimarily for being rated high on dog friendliness and so glad we did as the family/staff alone was so warm, welcoming and nice! We arrived right in time for a free tour which was SO interesting (do it, worth it) and Rob was our guide and had a great sense of humor. I am obsessed with lavender so it was fun learning about the farming and production process. Beware of that gift shop though as they have tons of amazing and unique products that are hard to resist (so I didn't). We capped off our visit with a lavender lemonade that was fantastic. Thanks for having us B&B!

FREE. Easy to get to. Parking lot is next to the main building. No pressure or entry free to enter…read morethe grounds. Talkative chickens and a proud rooster to the right of the main building. Large grounds to have their lavender ice cream on benches in the shade and to later walk around the lavender fields. Gift shop has a lot of clothes, jewelry and of course lavender products. Cow pasture behind. Overall grounds are worth a look. Yet another gem is the lady on the porch that ribbons up lavender wands and whimsical lavender products. Pretty and original gifts, too. She was born on Kauai and has lived in the area for sometime. I had a lot of laughs with this sweet lady. Their ice cream and lavender-lemonade is another treat. I suggest getting the massive single soup of the vanilla-lavender AND blackberry-lavender combo. It was $7 ball of happiness in a cup. Worth a quick or long stop.

This is a lavender product farm house. So many ways yo try lavender. Drops, soap , candles ,…read morehoney... We did find a nice gift ideas and the representative wrapped it nice. Must be an Acre of Gardens.