My family made up a new tradition by hitting up the Lavender Festival at the Chatfield Farms branch of the Denver Botanic Gardens. We had been here once before (for their Christmas celebration last year), and we were impressed then, but that event was on an evening so we didn’t get to fully partake in the glory that is truly Chatfield Farms. And let me tell you….it’s glorious!
We didn’t know that this lavender festival was something we needed in our lives, but we will be trying to make it every year from now on. There were all sorts of lavender products (not to mention the beautiful lavender fields to walk through), as well as pony rides (Lotte had her first!), face painting, train and tractor rides, live music, an awesome playground, lavender demonstrations and so much more. We just had the best time. If you do decide to ever hit up this festival if you happen to be in the area, my suggestion is to go as soon as it opens. It opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday and when we arrived a little before 9, we were already being directed to the second overflow parking lot because it was so busy.
Tickets are $7 per adult and free for kids under 14 and by getting there early we avoided the hottest part of the day, not to mention the huge lines that formed for the pony rides, face painting, etc. We were first in line for all those fun things and we ticked ’em off as soon as we entered, which meant we could spend the rest of the time meandering, exploring, and grabbing food at two of the tasty food trucks (fish/chicken/shrimp tacos and mac and cheese for the win!) before having a quick little picnic and heading out by 11:30.
More than 2,000 lavender plants set the scene for this family-friendly celebration of Chatfield Farms’ Lavender Garden. You can purchase lavender products from local growers and artisans and you can eat a variety of food, dessert and drinks, including lavender beer. Educational programs on lavender and related topics are available for an additional charge and include admission to Lavender Festival. Artists present during the festival, creating and selling paintings and pottery. Live music included Bob’s Big Band (swing), Lonesome Days (Bluegrass/Country) and Thunder and Rain (Country music).
DETAILS:
Lavender Festival
Denver Botanical Gardens
Cheryl Lock is a former magazine, newspaper and website editor turned full-time freelance writer. She has worked on staff at the Daytona Beach News-Journal, More and Parents magazines, as well as for Learnvest, the leading women’s financial website. Her work has also appeared in Newsweek, Forbes, Ladies’ Home Journal, the Huffington Post, AOL Travel and more.
Cheryl was born in Nuremberg, Germany and grew up moving around every few years as an Army brat. The urge to travel has been with her her whole life. While she calls New York City home, Cheryl makes it a priority to travel as much as possible throughout the year. Some of her favorite places include Iceland, the Great Barrier Beef, Cabo, Rome, Calabria and Munich, although she hopes to never stop exploring. Cheryl blogs about her travel adventures (and what’s happening in and around New York City) at Weary Wanderer.
