With the 2013 Lavender Festival coming up this weekend, thought I’d share my experience of last years fest!
The 2nd weekend of June 2012, my husband and I took a Hill Country road trip to Blanco, Texas where attended the 8th Annual Blanco
Lavender Festival. The town of Blanco (which means “white” in Spanish) was named for the limestone hills and banks along the river there. On our way up highway 281 we enjoyed the view of the hills, orchards, wineries, and even a few deer crossing the road. This was my first time visiting Blanco; usually I just pass right through. I was so amazed at how much beauty this little town has, from the Blanco River running through it to the small downtown strip of antique shops, local restaurants, and other small businesses. After having some yummy breakfast tacos at El Puerto Restaurant, it was time to make our way to the festival.
The Festival
As always, the husband found a great parking spot on Main Street, our first stop (right across the street from where we parked & not on the festival grounds) was at the Blanco RiverLavender Company booth, these lovely ladies were setting up and getting everything ready for the fest. We then made our way to the information booth at the festival (where I couldn’t help but buy a Lavender Fest themed t-shirt, cap, & lunch bag), which was located on the grounds of the Old Blanco County Courthouse. There we were greeted by some of the sweet local women of Blanco. They were very helpful in giving us the best way to fit visiting the farms and the enjoying the fest all in one day.
As excited as we were to visit the farms, we were sadly informed that only 3 out of 8 lavender farms made it this year due to the drought last year. Hearing news such as that made us really look forward to visiting the farms; we made it to 2 of them. As we walked towards the fest booths, it was kind of hard to choose where to start. Everything smelled so good and looked interesting to see. Lots of art, crafts, food vendors, music, local beer, Texas & Lavender specialty foods…you wouldn’t know where to begin either! But being the “spa junkie” that I am, the first thing that caught my eye was a booth filled with lavender products!
This was Heron’s Nest Herb
Farms’ booth, we met farmer, Mrs. Melanie Van Aken, not only did she have her products (lavender bath & body, pet care, & home care) for retail; she was also selling lavender cookies, brownies, and lavender tea. The 2nd stop was Wimberley Lavender Farm’s booth, gorgeous cobalt blue bottles filled withlavender spa products & homemade soaps; I was like a kid in a candy store! My poor husband probably thought he was going to be a guinea pig (as always!) for some kind of lavender spa creation I’d come up with. Other nearby fest goers were enjoying the Lavender Lemonade that was at the booth. Still walking through the fest, we were approached to try this lavenderbubbly adult beverage, though it may have been 11:00am, how could we say no to a glass of fizzy, sparkling purple stuff!
While sipping on our lavender mimosas (made with Miller Creek Lavender Margarita Mix) the Sanaloma Laser booth caught my husband’s eye.
I have to say we were both quite impressed with their work. The Georgetown, Texas Company creates all kinds of really cool 3D wooden models. They are great gifts for all ages, you must check out there online store, I know my husband is going to order a couple of things since they did make Military themed models.
Another booth my husband enjoyed was San Antonio’s very own Photo2wood. They use state of the art equipment to turn your photos into a wooden masterpiece. The festival was not only packed with vendors of all sorts, it also had many special guests speakers (including Jeannie Ralston, founder of Hill Country Lavender, the first lavender farm in Texas, and author of “The Unlikely Lavender Queen” .) educating on the history, uses, growing tips, and how to cook with lavender.
Lush Lavender Learning
Being in the spa industry for 17 years, I have become a huge fan of lavender, I use it just about everyday. Not only does its soothing aroma make my clients happy, it also has many benefits. It’s used in many beauty products, so you can see why I am such a fan of this little purple bloom. Lavender has therapeutic and antiseptic qualities, it’s known as an effective remedy to combat restlessness, insomnia, cure headaches, ease anxiety, soothe stress, and promote relaxation. The lavender herb is also used for bug bites, burns, skin disorders, to relieve itching, rashes, and reduce swelling. Another lavender fact is that it is also an effective cleanser when added to bath water and for washing hair. It is claimed that lavender, due to its antibacterial and antifungal qualities, kills head lice and other scalp infections. Hence, lavender is seen to be effective in combating balding and promoting hair growth. Also, the lavender herb has been effectively used as an antiseptic for the treatment of acne. Another use for lavender is as a floor cleaner, and also for cleaning counter surfaces and bathrooms. Again, it works effectively due to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties and it also gives out a pleasant fragrance to cleaned surfaces. Now you know why you see many cleaning products on the market that are lavenderinfused.
Texas Fields of Lavender
Native to the Mediterranean, (Latin root name: Lavandula. Lavare (to wash) Livendula (livid or bluish)) Lavender, is grown all over 
the world, lucky us, its right here in our beautiful Hill Country. The first farm we visited was Miller Creek Lavender. The farm offers 3 acres oflavender, a variety garden with over 70 varieties, butterfly garden, blackberries, picnic tables/benches, granite sand trails, plenty of parking, and a gift shop filled with lavender food products, lavender bath and body products, books, pottery, t-shirts, ball caps, and much more. There was even lavender colored port o’potties with a hand washing station, which I though was pretty cool. Owners Karen & Don Roets were very welcoming and had a spread of theirlavender edible goodies. We tasted Lavender Strawberry Lemonade, Lavender Strawberry Jam (we liked this so much we took some home, Yummy!), Lavender Raspberry Chipotle Salsa,Lavender White Wine Jelly, & Lavender Jalapeño Mustard, each had their own unique flavors. Tasting all these Texas treats and enjoying the view of the lavender farm, made them even more enjoyable. Remember that lavender bubbly we drank at the fest? We found the LavenderMargarita Mix it’s made with…yes, you know a bottle of the purple pleasure went home with us, let’s see how long it lasts! Ha-ha
The next farm we visited was Texas’ 1st Commercial Lavender Farm. Another beautiful sight to see, this farm is next to an orchard, and has an amazing view of hills and live oaks. The farm has more than 2,500 lavender plants spread in neat rows across a 2 acre hilltop where visitors are invited to cut their own lavender throughout the season. Their farm store carries a complete line and over 70 of lavender products, including soaps, sachets, lotion, linen spray, eye pillows, bubble bath, lavender essential oil, & much more. I think I did the most damage at this store! Who’s ready for a Lavender Facial? My husband and I thought we’d see how well our “green-thumb” would do and bought our own lavender plant at this farm for our yard; they even give you growing easy to follow instructions when you purchase a plant. The girl who rung up our goodies said the lavender plant survives off neglect. I have never been the gardening type of girl, so there is a good chance of our lavender plant living forever. Ha-ha
The River Runs Through It
After our lavender adventure, the lavender kicked in and we were relaxed, we decided
to have a picnic and enjoy the scenery of the Blanco River at Blanco State Park. The park is 104.6 acres located along the Blanco River in Blanco County. The land was deeded by private owners in 1933 before the park was opened in 1934. The park area was used as a campsite by early explorers and settlers. A spring in the park made the location ideal when the river was dry. This park is very well kept and clean; we sat in a picnic area under shady oak and pecan trees watching geese, ducks, and saw a couple of turtles and perch. There’s nothing more relaxing than being by the water, even more so under the influence of lavender. Since our family loves the outdoors, we plan on returning to this park for some camping, hiking, fishing, and of course swimming. This is a perfect weekend spot for families; the park also rents canoes, tubes, and kayaks.
Time to go Home
This was by far one of our best road trips. Texas has many small secret scenic places and Blanco is definitely one of them. Who needs France, when we have our own Lavender Farms here in the Hill Country? There is something for everyone in Blanco, fishing for the outdoorsman, antique shopping for you treasure hunters, hill country hiking for you thrill seekers, and lots of great picture spots for photographers. We enjoyed all it had to offer, theLavender Festival was the bonus. Support your fellow Texans by trying some of the lavendergoodies & checking out their products, we sure did. The information to all the vendors I mentioned is provided for you below. My husband and I looking forward to next year’s Lavender festival ; hope to see some of you there. <3 The 2013 lavender festival is Friday, June 6, 2013-Sunday, June 8, 2013.
Blanco Chamber of Commerce
312 Pecan Street
Blanco, Texas 78606
Puerto Restaurant
115 Main Street
Blanco, Texas 78606
Blanco River Lavender Company
4136 Ranch Road 1623
Blanco, Texas 78606
Heron’s Nest Herb Farm
1673 River Bend Drive
Blanco, Texas 78606
http://www.heronsnestherbfarm.com
Miller Creek Lavender
8453 Miller Creek Loop
Johnson City, Texas 78636
http://www.millercreeklavender.com/
Wimberley Lavender Farm
11300 FM 2325
Wimberley, Texas 78676
SanaLoma Laser, LLC
(512) 930-3882
5203 Taos Court
Georgetown, Texas 78628-1745
Photo2wood
210.365.01117
Jeannie Ralston: The Unlikely Lavender Queen
http://www.jeannieralston.com/
Blanco State Park
P.O. Box 493
Blanco, TX 78606
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/blanco
April M. Monterrosa is the Owner of The Lil Spa Room , PCA Skin Certified, a Nuskin Skin Care Distributor, Founder of Wonderfully Wise Women, & a Writer for SAXtreme Magazine. Just a simple & Proud Latina from San Antonio, Texas, a Marine Corps wife, Mama of a Dachshund, & a licensed Cosmetologist of 17+ years, blogging about things I love most…Beauty, Love, Life, Spa, Wine,Chocolate, and everything else in between! Check out my Beauty Blog at: lilsparoom.com
