07/14/2006: "Pelindaba Lavender Harvest Festival"

In the fifth Annual Harvest Festival, Pelindaba is partnering with the San Juan Island Street Arts Fair to create a "Splash of Summer Color" weekend on San Juan Island. The Lavender Festival program will focus on the sense and sensibility of lavender. Stephen Robins, co-owner, said, "We invite everyone see, smell, hear, touch and taste the beauty of lavender."

This year Pelindaba will also celebrate the many manifestations of artistry that lavender inspires. From the art of lavender cultivation, to its unique role in the culinary arts, to the crafts and fine art that are inspired by it. Demonstrations will focus on the cultivation of lavender, flower harvesting, essential oil distillation and its many uses — from personal care to culinary.

Craft workshops on wand and wreath making, plus crafts and activities for children, will be held throughout the day. There will also be docent tours of Pelindaba's organic fields, the commercial kitchen from which Pelindaba's many delicacies emerge, and the production center where over 130 products are handcrafted from Pelindaba's flowers and oil.

The largest group of island musicians Pelindaba has ever had on the farm will entertain visitors with a program ranging from blues to marimba. Members from San Juan's renowned Shakespeare company, Stage Left will once again be showcasing their summer production, this year "The Merchant of Venice".

Visitors can picnic on the lawns or out in the fields, savoring lunch items and baked goods prepared by Pelindaba chefs, or refreshing themselves with Pelindaba's signature lavender lemonade and ice cream. The cutting field will be available for personal bouquet gathering. The Gatehouse store and nursery will be stocked with handcrafted lavender products and plants.

The Lavendera Day Spa, located at the top of the lavender fields will be open for a variety of luxurious treatments. For further information, go to the upcoming events section at www.pelindaba.com .