Large crowd attends Oak Ridge Lavender Festival
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A large crowd came out for the 2023 Jackson Square Lavender Festival. - Ben Pounds
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The Missing Goats play at the Jackson Square Lavender Festival in Oak Ridge. - Ben Pounds
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Jeannie Miller with Midfield Lavender Farm gives lavender to a customer at the Jackson Square Lavender Festival. Behind her at the booth is Bryan Miller. - Ben Pounds
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Eva paints at a children’s art booth at Oak Ridge’s Jackson Square Lavender Festival. - Ben Pounds
Crafts, food, herbs and music greeted visitors to the annual Lavender Festival in Oak Ridge’s Jackson Square.
The 23rd Jackson Square Lavender Festival on June 17 attracted an estimated 25,000 visitors to Historic Jackson Square. Organizers in an emailed release described the “festival as celebrating health, creativity, local food, herbs and lavender.”
Farmers, artisans, local food vendors, free children’s activities, educational presentations and more set up at Jackson Square and the street beyond as musicians played in a large tent at the square’s center. A total of 150 vendors showed up this year.
A Tennessee Wine Tasting and a Tour of Gardens raised money for United Way of Anderson County and Grow Oak Ridge, two local nonprofits.
Many vendors, as during previous years, sold fresh sprigs of lavender.
Rose Echols, owner of LoCo Lavender Farm in Loudon County, gave a presentation on growing that herb.
As during other years, however, the festival featured a second herb. The one for 2023 was ginger, and Marie Bullock of Heaven’s Scent gave a presentation called “Ginger, the Root to Good Health.” Chef Gass of Oak Ridge restaurant Fire and Salt discussed cooking with herbs, while Carolyn Henry of Tryon Mountain Farms presented on making “seasoning salts and simple syrups.”