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Lavender Festival will not be held this year

Posted at 1:37 pm March 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival Overview
The annual Lavender Festival in June 2014 is pictured above in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (File photo by Ray Smith)

The Lavender Festival will not be held again this year, organizers announced Sunday after consulting with Oak Ridge city officials.

“While many people have been vaccinated and COVID-19 cases are decreasing, Lavender Festival’s crowd and limited area make it an unsafe event to hold early in the summer,” organizers said. “We have always prided ourselves on creating a happy, stress-free festival focused on good health. We cannot in good conscience create an event that would endanger our vendors or guests, many of whom attend the festival from other states, or anyone in the Oak Ridge community.”

Organizers said vendors accepted to the 2020 festival should check their email for information for vendors.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Festivals, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Lavender Festival, Oak Ridge

Lavender Festival postponed to next year

Posted at 7:31 pm April 15, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

The Lavender Festival, one of Oak Ridge’s most popular festivals, has been postponed to 2021 as the city, state, and country try to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“After consulting with Oak Ridge city officials, and in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce that Lavender Festival 2020 will be postponed until June 19, 2021,” said Barbara Ferrell, a Jackson Square business owner and Lavender Festival Committee member. “We agree with city officials that Lavender Festival’s crowd and limited area make it an unsafe event as the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate in our community.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, COVID-19, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Health, Music, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Barbara Ferrell, COVID-19, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival

Lavender Festival features herbs, crafts, food, music Saturday

Posted at 8:14 am June 12, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

Tennessee’s only Lavender Festival returns for its 21st year in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 15. The festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Celebrating all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more, the Lavender Festival is free to customers, and last year attracted an estimated crowd of 11,000,” a press release said. “In addition to free admission, Lavender Festival also offers plenty of free parking in city and business lots surrounding Jackson Square.”

The festival is full of tradition and fun, and it always features something new, the press release said. For example, a traditional bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand, the release said. A complete music schedule is included below.

The highlight of Lavender Festival will be the group of 150 artisan, herb, and floral vendors that will line the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which will be closed to traffic.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Festivals, Food, Front Page News, Health, Music, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Celebrate Oak Ridge, food, herb luncheon, herbs, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival, music, Oak Ridge, Taste of Tennessee Wines

Photos: Lavender Festival 2018

Posted at 10:50 am June 22, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Lavender Festival is pictured above in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 16, 2018. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

The Lavender Festival is pictured above in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 16, 2018. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Here are photos by Julio Culiat of the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Community, Front Page News, Slider Tagged With: Jackson Square, Julio Culiat, Lavender Festival, photos

Lavender Festival is Saturday in Jackson Square

Posted at 4:14 pm June 13, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps

Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

 

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday will celebrate health, herbs, crafts, local foods—and lavender. There will also be music, children’s activities, and a wine tasting. It’s the 20th year of the festival, which is the only Lavender Festival in Tennessee.

“The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new,” a press release said.

The 20th annual Lavender Festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge.

The festival, which attracted about 8,000 people last year, is always free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets.

As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.

Informative presentations will be held in the lobby of Pinnacle Financial Partners, and they will include Thyroid Health & Tips for Optimal Brain function (10 a.m.), Home-Crafted Lavender Products (11:30 a.m.), and Turning Back the Bones of Time (1 p.m.).

Also returning for its third year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, Community, Crafts, Entertainment, Front Page News, Music, Slider Tagged With: artisan vendors, children's activities, crafts, Daylillies Stony Clay Station, Erin's Meadow Herb Farm, Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, Great Valley Wine Trail, Harmonic Journeys, health, herb and floral vendors, Herb of the Year, herbal tasting, herbs, Honey Rock Herb Farm, Jackson Square, Jeri Landers, Jericho Farms, lavender, Lavender Festival, local foods, music, Oak Ridge Farmers Market, Rainwater Farm, Sunlight Gardens, Taste of Tennessee Wines, wine tasting, Wingshuck

Series of festivals starts this week

Posted at 1:29 pm May 18, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival is this week with three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville. The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

The second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival is this week with three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville. The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

A series of festivals in Oak Ridge starts tonight (Friday, May 18).

The first festival is the second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival. It features three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville. The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19.

The main event is the Grand Tasting from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 19, on the waterfront at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge. This event features more than 15 Tennessee wineries pouring more than 100 locally made wines and ciders, with live music, chef demonstrations by The Savory Whisk, and wine seminars by a variety of Tennessee wine experts, a press release said.

Music will be provided by the Nashville band Arts Fishing Club and two East Tennessee bands, Wild Blue Yonder, and KUDZU.

Two other smaller events are being offered earlier in the week, a Chef’s Table Wine Dinner at The Cutting Edge Classroom in West Knoxville on Thursday, May 17, and the VIP Taste of Gold at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 18. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Top Stories Tagged With: festivals, Flatwater Festival, Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festiva, Lavender Festival, Nine Lakes Wine Festival, Oak Ridge, Secret City Festival

Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17

Posted at 3:04 pm June 7, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The 19th annual Lavender Festival returns Saturday, June 17, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Photography by Shawn Millsaps)

The 19th annual Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Photography by Shawn Millsaps)

 

The 19th annual Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new, a press release said. The festival celebrates all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more.

Admission to the festival is free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets, the press release said.

As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.

Also returning for a second year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The tasting is hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of four independent wineries in East Tennessee. Your $10 tasting ticket is available at the gate (for those who are 21 with a valid identification). Tasters receive a complimentary wine glass, and if they purchase wine, a six-compartment wine tote. Customers are allowed to enjoy the wine outdoors in the Square during festival hours, with lunch served all day by plenty of food vendors and food trucks, restaurants, and even hors d’oeuvres by Chapel on the Hill. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Community, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: A Taste of Tennessee Wines, Alan McBride, Alexander Guest House Assisted Living Facility, Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association, Becky Coleman, Bob Grimac’s Art Spot, Chapel on the Hill, Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, Children’s International Summer Village, cilantro, Citizens First Bank, coriander, Cowperwood Company, Dan Arp, Danny Whitson, Daylillies, Doubletree by Hilton, Down the Rabbit Hole by Donna Roach, East Tennessee FARM Markets, Erin's Meadow Herb Farm, Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, Great Valley Wine Trail, Harmonic Journeys, herb luncheon, Herb of the Year, Hip 'n Happening, Honey Rock Herb Farm, Jackson Square, James R. "Rick" Riddle, Jeri Landers, Jericho Farms, Lavender Festival, Midfield Lavender Farm, Midway Tire, Oak Ridge Farmers Market, Rainwater Farm, Signs of the Water Jewelry by Marcia Napier, Stoney Clay Station, Sunlight Gardens, TN Bank of Oak Ridge, Tomboy Organic Skincare, Trans Tech, Wingshuck

Photos: Lavender Festival in Jackson Square

Posted at 9:17 pm June 18, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival in Jackson Square June 18 2016 1

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 18, 2016. The festival included artisan vendors in the square and on Broadway. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday celebrated herbs, crafts, food, and music. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

The festival celebrated the Herb of the Year, Capsicum, or hot peppers. New this year, “A Taste of Tennessee Wines” brought wine tasting to the festival. The tasting was hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of five independent wineries in East Tennessee.

The Lavender Festival also featured more than 100 artisan vendors, several informative presentations, children’s activities, and live musicians. Vendors lined the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which was closed to traffic.

The Oak Ridge Farmers Market was open as usual across from the square from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday.

Lavender Festival in Jackson Square June 18 2016 3

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Above, children stay cool playing in the interactive fountain in the center of Jackson Square. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Comedy, Community, Community, Entertainment, Front Page News, Music, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: A Taste of Tennessee Wines, Great Valley Wine Trail, Jackson Square, Julio Culiat, Lavender Festival, Oak Ridge Farmers Market

Barbara Ferrell receives Muddy Boot Award

Posted at 10:22 am June 18, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

David McCoy Barbara Ferrell and David Bradshaw June 17 2016

Barbara Ferrell, center, received a Muddy Boot Award in a surprise ceremony on Friday, June 17, 2016, in conjunction with the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Also pictured are Dave McCoy, left, and David Bradshaw. (Submitted photo)

 

Barbara Ferrell, who owns The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square, received the Muddy Boot Award on Friday.

The award is given by the East Tennessee Economic Council. It is a tribute to people who, through their work and community activities, make East Tennessee a stronger region.

The mid-year Muddy Boot Award was given to Ferrell in a surprise ceremony on Friday in conjunction with the annual Lavender Festival in Jackson Square.

Ferrell has been a leading independent retailer in Oak Ridge for more than 25 years, a press release said. She has been the driving force behind the successful Lavender Festival, which celebrates its 18th year this year. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Government, Nonprofits, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Barbara Ferrell, East Tennessee Economic Council, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival, Manhattan Project, Muddy Boot Award, The Ferrell Shop

Lavender Festival: Hot peppers, thyroid health, city chicks, TN wine!

Posted at 12:14 pm June 14, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival 1

Photography by Shawn Millsaps

 

Hot peppers, thyroid health, city chickens, and cooking with Tennessee wine are the topics of special presentations at the 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 18, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Lavender Festival is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with more than 100 artisan vendors. Festival admission and special presentations are free, except where noted, a press release said.

Indoor Presentations

Location: In the white building in the southeast corner of the square near the stairs [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, Community, Entertainment, Front Page News, Music, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Capsicum, city chickens, Emily Cleveland-Job, Great Valley Wine Trail, Harry Pope, Herb of the Year, hot peppers, Jackson Square, Laura Poland, Lavender Festival, Oak Ridge Farmers Market, Patricia Foreman, Star Farms, Tennessee wine, thyroid health

Lavender Festival on June 18 celebrates herbs, crafts, food, music

Posted at 10:19 pm June 3, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

2015_LavenderFestival 33

Several thousand people visit Jackson Square Lavender Festival each year, now in a newly renovated Jackson Square. (Photo by Shawn Millsaps)

 

The 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 18, will celebrate herbs, crafts, food, and music.

It’s scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18 in the renovated Jackson Square, which now features a fountain and pleasant sitting area in the center, a press release said.

The festival will celebrate the “Herb of the Year,” Capsicum, or hot peppers.

New this year, “A Taste of Tennessee Wines” brings wine tasting to Lavender Festival, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tasting is hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of five independent wineries in East Tennessee. Many of these Tennessee wines earned silver, gold, and concordance gold medals in the Wines of the South Regional Wine Competition in October 2015 at the University of Tennessee, the press release said. Adults over 21 may purchase a $10 tasting ticket, and will receive a free glass and wine tote, and the opportunity to buy bottles of Tennessee wine and meet the winemakers. Customers may enjoy the wine at seating areas at the festival, with lunch served all day by several food trucks, caterers, and restaurants. A portion of the proceeds of the wine tasting will benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Business, Community, Community, Entertainment, Meetings and Events, Music, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: crafts, food, Herb of the Year, herbs, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival, music

Frustration increases, Council not pleased as Jackson Square work stretches into fall

Posted at 9:08 pm August 11, 2015
By John Huotari 8 Comments

Jackson Square Parking Lot Meeting

Oak Ridge municipal staff members and Mayor Warren Gooch met with Jackson Square merchants at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen on Wednesday, July 29, to discuss the $1 million parking lot renovation, which is not yet finished but could be “substantially complete” by Sept. 15. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

One merchant said he’s lost more than $100,000 in sales. Another said she had to close her business. And a third has posted signs that express frustration with the pace of construction at Jackson Square.

At one time, there was hope that the $1 million parking lot renovation at Jackson Square would be complete by the Lavender Festival in mid-June. But that didn’t happen. Now, the latest construction schedule estimates that it will be “substantially complete” by September 15—in time for Taste of Anderson County—but not finished until the end of October.

Officials have said the primary delay has been with the interactive fountain that will be installed in the center of Jackson Square. It still hasn’t arrived, and officials have said it could take four weeks to install. On Monday, the contractor and her attorney said the fountain could arrive in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

Even business owners who had an optimistic outlook earlier have lost their patience with the project, which is mostly funded with a state grant. Their primary frustrations: The work has taken much longer than expected, the schedule keeps getting extended, and there have been too many days when, they say, they’ve seen no signs of work. In the meantime, the parking lot in front of their stores was closed for months, and they believe that the construction fencing and orange barrels drove away some potential customers.

“Why can’t they finish this?” asked Jonathan Goldstein of The String Workshop.

“We’ve been nice long enough,” said Dean Russell, owner of Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery.

“I think our frustration is how many days we’ve seen nothing happening as our customer base declines,” said Steve Seivers, who has a law practice in the square, the city’s original town center.

On Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council joined the chorus of frustration. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Angel Rich, Blankenship Field, Cutie Patootie’s Repeat Boutique, Danl Hall, Dean Russell, Dean's Restaurant and Bakery, interactive fountain, Jackson Square, Jackson Square merchants, Jackson Square parking lot, Jonathan Goldstein, Kathryn Baldwin, Lavender Festival, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, parking lot, parking lot renovations, Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen, renovation, Rich Construction Inc., Rich Construction Incorporated, Rick Chinn, Robert Noell, Roger Flynn, Spotted Spaniel, Steve Seivers, Taste of Anderson County, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant, The Ferrell Shop, The String Workshop, Through the Looking Glass, Trina Baughn, Vaughn and Melton Consulting Engineers Incorporated, Warren Gooch, Wendy Holloway

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AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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