Lavender Festival at Hood River Lavender Farms

The Hood River Lavender Farm is nestled between Mt Hood and Mt Adams in the Hood River Valley, about an hours drive from Portland. In July, they host Lavender Daze where lavender enthusiasts can wander around the lavender farm, taking in the mountain views and breathing in the heavenly scent of lavender growing all around. Local artisans and craftsmen have booths set up for you to shop if you so desire, or just grab a chair and listen to the live band playing while sipping a glass of wine from Stave and Stone Winery.

If the site and sound of bees buzzing all around makes you uneasy, this might not be the outing for you! The bees were extra busy working their way through the lavender fields while I was there. I didn’t mind the bees one bit and actually enjoyed watching them fly from plant to plant. Also, did you know lavender comes in white too? Hood River Lavender Farms grows 75 different organic lavender varieties in all shades of purple and white. They harvest it to create their own lavender essential oils and lotions. You can find them at the lavender festival or shop at their online store.

One of the highlights for me was cutting a couple bouquets of lavender to bring home.

Hood River Lavender Farm • 3823 Fletcher Drive, Hood River, Or. 97031

Lavender Ice Cream at Hood River Lavender

I first tried Honey Lavender ice cream at Salt and Straw a couple years ago and it immediately became one of my all time favorite flavors. It’s so unique and delicious and tastes exactly how lavender smells. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy flavor to find, so I grab it whenever I find it. During the Lavender Daze Festival, Hood River Lavender serves two flavors: lavender honey and Lavender chai. I ordered the swirl so I could try both and after trying both options, I still prefer lavender honey.