Olalla × Provence: A New Chapter of Friendship in Lavender

Something beautiful is blooming between Olalla and Provence.

In 2025, the Olalla Lavender Festival took an extraordinary step forward and formed heartfelt relationships with two celebrated lavender festivals in France:

• L’Instant Lavande (in Grasse, the world capital of perfume),

• La Fête de la Lavande (in Valensole, the iconic lavender plateau of Provence).

What began as simple conversations quickly became a warm cultural connection grounded in shared values: heritage, community, nature, joy, and of course, lavender.

Why These Connections Matter

Lavender represents more than a plant. It symbolizes care, wellbeing, craftsmanship, and the beauty of slowing down. Our friends in Provence embody this spirit, and Olalla, with its forests, farms, Grange culture, and strong community heartbeat, mirrors it in our own Pacific Northwest way.

By forming these festival-to-festival relationships, we are:

• Celebrating global friendship rooted in local traditions,

• Sharing knowledge about lavender farming, cultivation, history, and uses,

• Exchanging experiences and learning from each other’s festivals,

• Strengthening Olalla’s identity as a place where culture, beauty, and community come together.

What This Means for Olalla

Visitors to the 2025 festival experienced the first version of our Olalla × Provence welcome booth, complete with French history, festival cards, cultural displays, and stories from Grasse and Valensole.

This connection is only the beginning. Looking ahead, we envision:

• Possible cross-promotions between Provence and Olalla,

• Cultural and educational exchange opportunities,

• A future where our Lavender Festival becomes a recognized part of a global lavender community.

And in July 2026, when we welcome a group from France to Olalla during the Festival, this bond will deepen even more.

Olalla may be small, but our lavender spirit now stretches across the ocean — straight into the heart of Provence.

💜 A beautiful new chapter has begun.