I have mixed feelings about all of these themed festivals that seem to be a fad right now. Here's my perspective: If you're going to host a themed festival, such as a Lavender festival (or pizza or ribs), try to to stick to the theme. I get that these festivals are money making machines and the organizers need to sell out their vendor tents, but can someone please explain to me why I have the option to buy a machete at a lavender festival? I can't wrap my head around it...
Having said that, the Lavender Festival in Niagara Falls this weekend was delightful. I had the pleasure of being invited by a friend of mine and her mom for their family outing. The company, by far, was my favourite part of the day! I love my friend and her mom and their extended family is just as sweet and fun to spend time with. (Below is a picture of my friend Alex, seriously, how cute is she?!). Perhaps I am a bit spoiled because my first visit to a lavender farm was at Terre Bleu last year, which set the bar high for any lavender farm that follows it. Feel free to read my previous blog on my Terre Bleu experience here: Why Besties Should Go to Terre Bleu.
There were certain things I enjoyed about the lavender festival in comparison to simply visiting a lavender farm: I loved the fact that included in your ticket price were a bunch of small tasters of lavender water, lavender ice-cream and other treats. It’s a nice addition to your paid ticket and gives you a sense of purpose when sauntering through the festival. I have never been so motivated to search for a scoop of ice-cream. However, to my dismay, the tasters were just that – tiny tastes of different things. To give you an image of how small the ice-cream scoop was, well, referring to it as a, “scoop,” is an overstatement. You aren’t paying a lot of money for your ticket, so again, all of these little tasters are a nice addition, but for someone who is very serious about their ice-cream, like myself, I would like to reserve the option to pay for more ice-cream (or any other treat that I enjoyed for that matter). That wasn’t the case, it was simply a taste, or a TEASE as I would like to call it! Aside from these little points, it was a cheaper experience compared to Terre Bleu, however, if you’re like me, I don’t mind paying for my ice-cream or any other treats, especially when it gives me a decent amount. Terre Bleu also has a cover charge which is something to consider. A nice alternative to some of the more lavender-specific farms is a festival such as this, because it’s cheaper and allows you to have the overall experience. The field itself was a small lavender field, however, what I loved about the Niagara Festival was that they welcomed you to wander through the fields and pick a handful of lavender for yourself to take home. Most farms do not allow you to touch the lavender. I also recommend going earlier in the morning before it gets very busy. We went early and by the time we left the place was crowded with people.
At the end of the day, I’ll never say no to an invite that gives me the option to run through a field of flowers like Belle from Beauty and the Beast when she sings, “There must be more than this provincial lifeee…” I just wanted to give you a general comparison between a lavender festival and visiting Terre Bleu Lavender Farm. Regardless, lavender farms are beautiful, tranquil, and make for fantastic/girly Instagram photos. You really can’t go wrong!
Also, in case you were wondering, we left before this happened: CP24: Cars Go Up in Flames at Lavender Festival.
