An Aromatic Party Is Ready to Sprout in Santa Barbara, Lavender Lovers

LATE JUNE... means so many marvelous things to many people around the Golden State. You might still be savoring the savory leftovers from your Father's Day barbecue or scrolling through the festive photos you snapped at your local summer solstice parade. And looking forward to the Fourth of July and some beach-close revelry? Loads of celebratory Californians are doing just that when the sixth month begins to wind down. And around certain corners of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties? Plenty of people are in the purple, literally, as the region's famous lavender fields begin to truly pop. It's a spectacular sight to see, and, yes, sniff, and shopping all sorts of lovely lav-y goodies is a must for fans of the fragrant herb. Those aromatic items have long played a central, scentful part in the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival, a late-June staple, but 2023 is delivering a tantalizing twist: The long-running lavender-stravaganza is moving to the scenic American Riviera, where it will bloom as a free festivity at Old Mission Santa Barbara.

JUNE 24, the final Saturday of the month, is the date to circle with your lucky purple pen. Admission to the festival? It is free, as free as a breeze ruffling through a large field of lavender. Of course, the majestic mission won't boast such a field — there are locations around the county and beyond to see this singular sight — but it will offer guests plenty of lavender-themed shopping and nose-pleasing, eye-treating delights. Soaps, sachets, sprays, and lavender plants — both living and dried — will be for sale, and on the informational end of the airy event? You'll learn about lavender growing and "the benefit of plants that celebrate our Mediterranean climate." Live tunes will add to the atmosphere of the sunshiny day. For more information, visit the official Santa Barbara Lavender Festival website now.