SEQUIM — The seventh annual Celebrate Lavender Festival officially kicks off today, but don’t tell that to the lavender farm owners who’ve been inundated with tourists for almost a week.
While farm visits are never confined strictly to festival days, many local growers are reporting a huge turnout of early birds eager to take in the sights and smells of lavender at Sequim’s many farms.
“They’ve been coming since Saturday,” said Corinne Dennis, wholesale manager at Sequim Valley Lavender.
Ditto for Cedarbrook Herb Farm, where owner Toni Anderson is trying to prepare for the big crowds she anticipates for the three-day festival — and at the same time is dealing with a good number of customers showing up early.
“It’s a little scary,” Anderson said. “We’ve seen a pattern over the years where people are coming before the festival starts, but there are way more this year.
“It’s a quantum leap.”
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The rest of the story appears in the Friday/Saturday Peninsula Daily News.