Lavender and Wine on the Olympic Peninsula

Visit the 2010 Olympic Peninsula Lavender Festival and tour seven fine Olympic Peninsula Wineries.

The Sequim Lavender Festival is fast approaching. The 2010 festival runs Friday through Sunday, July 16, 17, 18. Visit seven lavender farms on the Olympic Peninsula, and while you’re out enjoying yourself, visit seven Washington state wineries on the Olympic Peninsula as well.

Olympic Peninsula Wineries are offering a Lavender Celebration Tour of Wineries from Saturday July 10 through July 18. All of our wineries will open from 11am to 5pm daily, and we’ll be pouring new and current releases. For more details, visit our Sequim Lavender Festival Wine Tour page. (more…)

Come to Centrum

Centrum brings incredible artists to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula throughout the year. In summer, the calendar is full of festivals, workshops, and performances.

Tootie Heath at Jazz Port Townsend.

This summer, one amazing event after another keeps people entertained and engaged: Voiceworks, the Festival of Fiddle Tunes, Chamber Music, the Writers’ Conference, Jazz Port Townsend…. On Friday afternoons, folks get comfortable on blankets with picnics and listen to free concerts by some of the finest performers in the nation. The atmosphere is relaxed, with children dancing in the background. It’s wonderful.

Centrum is housed at Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend. The sandy beaches, majestic woods, and unbeatable views at Fort Worden are complemented by the historic charm of Port Townsend. When not busy with a workshop or at a concert, lounge on the beach or hike through the woods to scenic overlooks. Wander through the batteries tucked away throughout the park. Or enjoy a fine meal in one of the many restaurants in Port Townsend. (more…)

Port Angeles Concerts on the Pier

Breathtakingly beautiful Port Angeles, on the Olympic Peninsula

Each summer, visitors and residents of Port Angeles have the wonderful opportunity to listen to live music on the City Pier, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. The 2010 Concert on the Pier Series takes place Wednesday nights between 6pm and 8pm throughout the summer. They are a great excuse to spend a few days on the Olympic Peninsula during the week.

The series starts Wednesday, June 23, with The 8 Second Ride playing country music. It wraps up September 8 with Big Band music by the Sequim City Band. Each week look forward to a different band and a new sound. Country, Jazz, Big Band, Bluegrass and old fashioned Rock & Roll will all be featured. Find the music you like best, drop everything, and head to the Olympic Peninsula.

While here, visit Washington State Wineries and taste Washington State Wines. There are a number of excellent wineries on the Olympic Peninsula, all of which offer wine tasting during the summer. (more…)

Shrimp Fest

Hang on to your sun hats everyone, because it’s almost time for ShrimpFest. This fantastic annual celebration of Hood Canal’s Spot Shrimp (and other local seafood) takes place Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a great excuse to head to the Olympic Peninsula.

ShrimpFest. Be there.

Bring your belt sander and enter decorated belt sander races (just so you can say you did). Bring a bucket and a shovel, so you can hunt for clams and oysters during low tides (license required). It’s a cute little festival, and always fun. (more…)

Juan de Fuca Festival in Port Angeles

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to travel to the Olympic Peninsula, the perfect opportunity awaits during Memorial Day Weekend. This is your chance to attend a fantastic festival and visit several Olympic Peninsula wineries.

The Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts is an annual occurrence in Port Angeles, WA. Each Memorial Day Weekend, it brings dozens of outstanding musicians, dancers and artists to the Olympic Peninsula. They come from around the world; local favorites share the stage with folks from Ghana and British Columbia. The results are electric. (more…)

Good Reasons to Visit Olympic Peninsula Wineries

Stop by Port Townsend for the Rhody Festival and a glass of wine.

There are lots of good reasons to head to the Olympic Peninsula these days. For starters, try sunshine, glorious scenery, and many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Then there are six Washington State Wineries, open for visitation and ready to pour the wine.

There are also a number of upcoming events worth noting. Read on for just a few:

May 1, 2010, marks the start of the 115th Irrigation Festival in Sequim, WA. The longest running festival in the state of Washington, the Irrigation Festival celebrates the irrigation ditches that traverse Sequim and allowed the land to be cultivated in the 19th century. Look forward to parades, an arts and crafts festival, lawnmower races and a carnival. The town of Sequim steps out for this event for the weekends of May 1 and May 7, and it is well worth attending. Also on May 1, 2010, is the Victorian Spring Ball in Port Angeles. (more…)

A Weekend of Jazz and Wine

Let the music begin.

Jazz lovers will soon be descending upon Port Angeles, WA, for Jazz in the Olympics. This festival runs April 23, 24, and 25, 2010, at several venues around Port Angeles. Traditional Jazz, Dixieland, and Gospel will be performed by ten different bands from all around the United States and Canada. The music starts Friday afternoon at 2pm and ends Sunday night. Shuttle buses make traveling between venues a cinch.

Even the most diehard fans of jazz will need a break eventually. When that time comes, head to a nearby Washington State Winery; four Washington Wineries are located in and around Port Angeles, and the only problem will be deciding which one to visit first. (more…)