Saturday, June 14, 2008
Silver K Café & Pecan Street Brewing Company present:
John Arthur Martinez and his band Tejas

Lavender Evenings,
by Mike Stewart
www.ArtByStewart.com

On June 13 and June 14, Johnson City will kick off the lavender season (June through September) along with Johnson City area lavender farms. Johnson City's Lavender Evenings will correspond with the Blanco Lavender Festival daytime events held the same weekend.

Festival attendees will be invited to spend their evenings in Johnson City listening to live music venues, attending art gallery receptions, and enjoying late night shopping and fine dining with lavender themes.

On Saturday evening beginning at 8pm, the Silver K and Tim and Patty Elliott (Pecan Street Brewing Company owners) will sponsor an Old Fashioned Street dance in front of the old hardware store by the Courthouse square featuring John Arthur Martinez and his band, Tejas. www.johnarthurmartinez.net

Everyone is invited to bring their coolers, lawn chairs, friends and entire family. Street dances were a way of life in days gone by and were family affairs. John Arthur Martinez, who has just completed a European tour with his band, spoke with a chamber spokesperson this week as he wraps up his current performance in San Miguel, Mexico, "I am a local Texas Hill Country boy and I am honored to perform for the people of Blanco County with my touring band. Lavender Evenings is a great opportunity for us to provide a night of entertainment to the people I love most - in the country I love most - doing what I love most." We think that John Arthur will receive total agreement on these points!

FREE OF CHARGE! FUN FOR ALL!

Smell the aroma? Lavender is just one more reason you have to visit the Texas Hill Country! The adventurous spirit of this new industry is the same spirit that brought the pioneers who settled this rugged landscape. To celebrate the beginning of the lavender bloom season, the Blanco Chamber of Commerce and the Blanco Lavender Growers Association invite you to join them for the Third Annual Blanco Lavender Festival in Blanco and to visit the Lavender Farms on the Tour. The Johnson City Chamber of Commerce invites you to their evening events in Johnson City.

The towns of Blanco and Johnson City are located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Blanco is located on the banks of the Blanco River while Johnson City is located on the banks of the Pedernales River. Close by are year-round nature and recreational destination Texas State Parks, the Blanco State Park near Blanco and Pedernales State Park near Johnson City. Throughout the area, attractions located within a few minutes from either center will enhance your lavender experience.

The entire town of Blanco and the surrounding countryside will be bathed in lavender during the Lavender Festival. The Lavender Market, on the grounds of the historic Blanco County Courthouse, is always a must-see highlight of the festival. Selected vendors and artists from across the Hill Country will offer lavender-related pleasures and treasures from the finest craftsmen.

Other Things to Do & See While in Johnson City Texas & the Surrounding Central Texas Hill Country

SHOPPING • EATING • LODGING

**Lavender Evenings Financial Sponsors   Tim & Patty Elliott

OTHER LAVENDER LINKS:

Wikipedia, background article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender

Botanical.com, background article: http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lavend13.html

GardenGuides.com, Lavender gardening tips & techniques:
www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/herbs/lavender.asp

Mountain Valley Growers, Lavender background: www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/lavendercareandtips.htm

Sequim Washington Lavender Festival: www.lavenderfestival.com

University of Maryland, Lavender for Medicinal Use: www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lavender-000260.htm

Lavender Production, Products, Markets, and Entertainment Farms: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/lavender.html