SEQUIM — Irrigation and its impact on farming traditionally is celebrated each May throughout the Sequim-Dungeness Valley.

However, many local farmers are convinced the celebration of lavender is rapidly blooming into a major annual event on its own.

“The word is getting out about the Lavender Festival,”‘ event coordinator Pat McCauley said Tuesday, confirming July 21 and 22 as dates for the fifth annual celebration.

An estimated 12,000 people poured into the fields at seven local farms and jammed the streets of downtown Sequim for the street fair last summer to learn more about lavender.

Although the celebration is still more than three months away, the first major Lavender Festival activity is scheduled for Saturday.

The event begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and silent auction. It continues with dinner and dancing.

A $35 ticket entitles each person to a gourmet herbal dinner, silent auction, door prizes, live music and an opportunity to meet area lavender farmers.

For the complete story see Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News, on sale in Clallam and Jefferson counties.