LOCAL BUSINESS | By Maureen Volland

Ojai Celebrates 15th Annual Ojai Valley Lavender Festival Saturday, June 30th

June 16, 2018 (Ojai, CA) —  Ojai has survived much these past seven months. The fires were cruel, but Mother Nature so kind and restorative as we look to the hills and see few remaining traces of severe scarring.  While several of Ojai’s lavender farms suffered damage and loss, purple fields of lavender are joyously reclaiming their season. All the more reason to celebrate! In its 15th year now, the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival honored local blooms on Saturday, June 30th, 10am-5pm in Libbey Park amidst a joyful array of art, music, food, games, prizes, raffles, speakers, vendors and plenty of lovely Ojai lavender.

Lavender Vendors

At full capacity, the park hosts 116 vendors including five lavender farms.  Central Coast Lavender Farm, Ojai Dirt Candy, Ojai Lavender Farms, Rivendell Aromatics, and St. Barbara’s Orthodox Monastery offered live plants, fresh and dried bouquets, wreaths, sachets, and various lavender products like soaps, lotions, oils, and more.  A sixth, Frog Creek Lavender Farm, provided U-pick tours 10am-5pm at their Upper Ojai farm on festival day; and again on Lavender Sunday, July 1st,  10am-3pm with a special lavender-growing talk and  lavender wand-making workshop 11am-noon (www.frogcreekojai.com).

Festival Music

The festival’s popular music tableau expanded this year to include young songwriter Eliya Frantz (10:15am) and Lynn Mullins with his new band Coyote Creek (10:45 am).  Returning favorites will be Richard Kaller (10 a.m.); Cindy Kalmenson & The Lucky Ducks (noon); Smitty and Julija (1:15pm); Ventucky String Band (2:30pm) and The Jon Gindick Band (3:45pm).  Smitty West emceed and engineer Roger Phelps of SoundNEyes mixed sound.

Speakers and Classes

Featured speaker and ecological landscaper, Laura Maher of Greywater Gardens, will present “How to Design, Build and Maintain a Greywater Irrigation System for Your Home Garden” at noon. Artist/musician turned health advocate/coach Amanda Mullins will present “Make Your Favorite Foods Nutritious and Delicious” at 2pm. (See below for Sunday’s Speakers & Classes)

Special Guests

Despite losing a major portion of their campus to the Thomas Fire and being displaced to Bakersfield for many months, the awesome ladies of Ventura Teen Challenge returned to the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival as they have for years to assist with and manage so many festival details. They also had their food booth again with delicious hot lunch and luscious lavender lemonade.  Both Teen Challenge and OVLF offered raffle baskets with beautiful, high-value, hand-crafted items, many donated by generous local merchants. Money raised by both, benefit their respective nonprofit activities, outreach, and scholarships.

Other notes of interest that link the festival with the Thomas Fire: Tony and Diana Luboff of Ojai Lavender Farms had perhaps a just little less product variety this year since losing their home, barn, vehicle and just about everything else in the Thomas Fire.  Miraculously, most of their lavender fields survived and both, in addition to working days as local teachers, have worked tirelessly to harvest lavender and produce their fragrant products.

The nuns at St. Barbara’s Monastery were blessed to have escaped the loss of their convent and their new chapel, but did lose much of their lavender.  Generous fellow local growers helped them to replace some of what was lost, so they too could harvest and support themselves through sales of lavender plants, bundles, honey and more. Various booths hosted artisans, selling items to directly benefit Thomas Fire relief efforts. 

The Lavender Festival Art Contest

Twenty-six Ojai artists produced lavender-themed art pieces this year for the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival Art Contest.  An exhibit was on display at the Ojai Coffee Roasting Company, 337 E. Ojai Ave.

Everyone was invited to attend a free cake and coffee reception there on Sunday, June 24, 3-5pm, to view the art and learn which art pieces won 1st, 2nd, 3rd and three honorable mention ribbons.  The art moved to Libbey Park for display and sale in OVLF’s popular art tent on festival day, June 30th.

The festival’s fun “Passport Game” returned with prizes galore donated by generous festival vendors.  Children of all ages delight in playing and winning!

Festival Eats

Festival-goers found more consumable choices in the park this year with seven food trucks offering meals, drinks and refreshing snacks.  

In addition to Deer X-ing, Bites Gourmet Apples, Freezer Monkey, Kona Ice of Ventura, Metro Dogs, Paradise Italian Ice and Javacat trucks, food & drink booths included Hansen Enterprises’ Aebleskivers, Lori’s Original Lemonade, Taffy Tyme, Ventura Teen Challenge and Yankee Doodle Bakery.  

Other vendors also offered oils; vinegars; salts; food mixes, drink mixers, and pet supplies.

What to Expect the Day of the Event

Expect plenty of artistic wares, delightful activities, great people-watching and nonstop sun, and fun.  Please remember park rules: no alcohol, smoking or pets. Parking is always difficult downtown during big events so plan to walk, ride your bike, take the trolley or catch a free shuttle for optimum commuting sanity.

OVLF offers free off-site parking at Live Oak Christian Fellowship Church, 441 Church Rd. Purple signs will point the way; Chief Peak 4H members will direct parkers; and HELP of Ojai will provide free shuttle service to and from Libbey Park.  The last bus of the day leaves the park at 5:00pm.

Extended lavender joy through the weekend, on Lavender Sunday, July 1st:

About the Ojai Lavender Festival

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Ojai Valley Lavender Festival Inc. is committed to its mission “to demonstrate and promote the many uses of lavender, to broaden public awareness and to educate potential growers/farmers about the benefits of plants that celebrate the Ojai Valley’s Mediterranean climate.”  OVLF does this by providing annual scholarships, honoring beloved former Ojai resident and historian David Mason, to pursue agriculture and/or lavender-related education to valley residents. OVLF also awards special community grants; this year giving seven $1,000 grant awards to Ojai residents devastated by the Thomas Fire.

For the 15th year, the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival offered Valley-wide joy.  Many local restaurants join the fun by featuring lavender food and drink, and local merchants offer specials on lavender-themed products and services. Such a lot of hoopla over lavender — how wonderfully, quintessentially Ojai!  It truly does “take a village” to produce such a celebration and we warmly thank everyone.  It’s going to be the best one yet because we have a lot to celebrate.  See you at the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival!

For more details: www.ojaivalleylavenderfestival.org