y now, my "regular" readers are more than aware that these blogs are by no means objective reviews, but are fairly subjective recounts of my experiences.
That being said, I like to be transparent about myself and my experiences. I really wanted to post photo diaries and write-ups from my recent trip to Las Vegas, but on the last night of my trip I found out my dad had passed away.
I heavily grieved for a couple weeks. I tested positive for Covid and had to fight my way through it. I was trapped in my room for far too long. The moment I tested negative and emotionally felt ready to face the world, I made plans to spend the day out with some of my favorite people at an event I have loved since 2017: the Lavender Festival in Cherry Valley.
The morning of our excursion, I had some concerns about my own fragility, worried that the littlest thing could trigger the tears that I had been laboring to keep at bay. However, it turns out that my two friends were also feeling down so instead of our usual extravagant photoshoot shenanigans, we spent a lot of time decompressing. Yes, we took some beautiful photos but I could tell we just weren't ourselves. The good news was being surrounded by gorgeous, fragrant lavender fields and cinema-worthy tree tunnels was exactly what we needed.
This particular day, we arrived around 11AM just before the heat became too unbearable. Cherry Valley gets very hot, so if you are attending the Lavender Festival, make sure you dress appropriately, including the right footwear! Much of the farm is dusty and unpaved.
We also purchased our admission and tickets ahead of time, online.
Since it was early in the day and most guests had not arrived, we decided to have lunch and drinks first. In the main area, there are different booths offering alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, savory food and desserts. The majority of the items feature lavender flavors or use lavender in their preparation.
We grabbed some lavender-infused sustenance and found a rustic spot underneath the old pine trees. We exhaled with the warm breeze as it rustled the tall pines, sipping our purple goodness.
Full list of food options can be found here.
One new addition to the festival this year was a free wine tour. The farm has recently planted wine grapes and began producing a rosé under the Black Bench label. This tour is available Saturdays and Sundays at 1PM - the meeting point is in the 'food court' area.
Our tour guide Hannah was so pleasant and knowledgeable. It was obvious she is passionate about what she does, and she loves the farming that is done there. I loved hearing about the origins of the newly planted grapes, as well as how much thought and planning goes into the farming. The tour ended with a tasting of the Black Bench rosé. It was so unique and not like any other rosé I had ever tasted. It was also my first time in the wine room, which was air-conditioned and beautifully decorated. There is truly an intentional aesthetic throughout the farm that I always love.
Instead of rushing out and doing the next thing, we decided to stay put and continue cooling off. The heat was no joke, and we were feeling it. The nice thing about the Lavender Festival though, is that there are so many different areas to just sit and absorb. Normally I want to see everything and do everything, but this particular day was more quiet.
While we didn't do the free wagon tour, visit the petting zoo or even visit the organic galleries, we still had a great, necessary day for our mental health. If you are planning to visit, I highly recommend doing as many activities as possible! This farm is an incredible place, and it has a wonderful rustic charm to it. You can find a full list of activities here.
Our last stops were the Tea Room for drinks and desserts, followed by the Marketplace for some fun lavender-themed shopping. I personally love purchasing the products produced from the farm, like the skincare, syrups, and olive oils.
The Lavender Festival runs until July 31, so there is still plenty of time to make it out to Cherry Valley! If you can't make it for the Lavender Festival, 123Farm has plenty of events throughout the year - you can read about my past experiences at the Sheep Shearing Festival and the Lavender Market Nights.
Will you be attending the Lavender Festival this year?
Until next time,
Happy wandering!
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