Dale Dineen is busily harvesting her lavender field west of Hoquiam in preparation for her third annual Lavender Festival this weekend.

“We just thought (hosting a festival) would be fun for the community — and to sell lavender,” she jokes. “And it just grew. It’s crazy-fun.”

She’s been making soaps, sprays and sachets for months, and now she’s bundling sheafs and gussying up her greenhouse to receive hundreds of visitors. She also has brought in numerous varieties of lavender plants for sale.

Nearly 30 vendors, showing everything from metal art to homemade candles and chocolates, are participating in this year’s event — up from about 20 last year. Not all of them have specific ties to the aromatic flower, but all are locals who create their own products, and that’s what matters most to Dineen.

The festival will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Dale’s Lavender Valley, 48 Robertson School Road. There’s no admission fee.

(Kat Bryant | The Daily World) Bumblebees love visiting Dale Dineen’s lavender field.