Published: October 06, 2008 11:31 am         

Antique and art fair slated this week

The third annual Lavender Ridge Farms Herb’n Antique & Art Fair will be held during Oct. 10-12 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the Lavender Ridge Farms located at 2391 CR 78.

Free to attend, everyone is invited to come. There will be antiques, pumpkins, flowers for the picking, food and fun.

“This is a beautiful place to come and enjoy the nature around you while you’re shopping,” said Jane Dane, one of Lavender Ridge Farms’ owners. “It’s very relaxing and calm. Plus, there’s nothing like the smell of Lavender.”

Currently, there are 10 antique dealers signed up for the event who will feature a wide variety of items including furniture, glassware, antique fans, twig furniture and much more.

The farm has also acquired a large variety of pumpkins from their neighbor Rodney St. John and will sell them from 5 cents to $22, depending on size.

Fair attendees will also be able to cut 32 oz cups of Zinnias for $12 and as much Lavender as they can fit into a six inch twist tie for $8. Although this is not the prime time for Lavender, said Dane, there is still some great Lavender available at the farm for the picking.

Attendees can also choose from some “gorgeous gourds” at the farm to purchase, which Dane said is great for fall decorating.

Perhaps the biggest addition to this year’s fair, will be the Lavender Ridge Farm’s Cafe. Although the cafe will not be open for full service until a couple of weeks, attendees will get a preview of what’s to come with box lunches served during the fair. The lunches will include a turkey basil pesto wrap and lavender lemonade.

Dane said her and the other Lavender Ridge Farms’ owners (her brother Jerry Ware and Mark Whitfield) decided to open the cafe due to response they received from their lavender cooking classes.

“People always say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so good, why don’t you guys open a cafe?’ So we thought, why not,” said Dane.

The cafe will be open Fri.-Sun. from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. A few dishes to be on the menu will be lavender pork tenderloins, lavender pumpkin soup and several other delicious and non-lavender items, said Dane. Although no alcohol will be served, visitors will have the option to BYOB.

Perfect for spring and summer, Dane added that the cafe will have outdoor seating only and will be totally shaded. By Spring, Dane said, a stage will also be built for theater and musical performances.

“We do a lot with the theater department from the local college and we thought this would be a great opportunity for them to perform,” said Dane.

For more information about Lavender Ridge Farms and the Herb’n Antique & Art Fair please call (940) 665-6938 or visit www.lavenderridgefarms.com.