In July, lavender fields sprinkle the desert landscape against the backdrop of the Sandia Mountains.
It's lavender picking time for Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, and what better way to celebrate than the Lavender in the Village Festival?
What started five years ago as a small celebration of the summer harvest quickly turned into Los Ranchos' premier community event, organizer Kelly Kuchar said.
"We've seen a big growth in the number of visitors over the last two years," she said. "We had 7,000 visitors in 2006. Last year, we had about 15,000 visitors. This year, we expect to surpass that number."
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque was founded as a small farming community around 1700. In recent years, as the city began pressing up against the village's outskirts, locals began looking for a crop that would keep their fields out of the bulldozers' paths.
They sought something that would thrive at 5,000 feet and tolerate a dry climate, hot summers and fairly cold winters. The ideal plant would be people-friendly and medicinal. They imagined a crop that would inspire artists and craftspeople, chefs and bartenders, passionate interpretations of every kind - something old and rich in folklore. There was a plant that met all of these requirements: lavender.
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Penny Rembe, co-owner of Los Poblanos Inn and La Quinta Cultural Center, was one of three women who decided to test the idea.
"It started as an agricultural project," she said. "The festival was formed to promote the awareness of Los Ranchos as a lavender-growing area. Each year, it has gotten bigger and incorporated more events, such as live music, different types of food, classes and lectures, and, gradually, we've brought into it the whole concept of organic gardening."
This year, the festival included everything lavender, from scones and baked goods to lotions, soaps and even lemonade. There were lavender cooking classes, how-to demonstrations on growing your own lavender and a band wearing - you guessed it - lavender.
Many festival-goers also dressed for the occasion. Lela Belle Wolfert, who was signing copies of her book Deception and Desire, wore a head-to-toe purple outfit complete with a sun hat, antique purse and eye shadow.
"I like to dress monochromatic once in a while," Wolfert said. "I wanted to capture the festival's personality with my outfit."
Visitors shopped the growers market for fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, and artists proudly displayed their crafts.
Gwenyth Mabry, who attends Los Ranchos' crafts fair every weekend, displayed her handmade coffee and end tables, each a mosaic of colorful tiles and stained glass.
Mabry said the festival helped boost her sales.
"It gives more people exposure to your art or craft," she said. "When you are a beginning artist, that is always a good thing."
Photographer Adrian Panaro, who did the photography for the festival poster, said the lavender fields created the perfect festival atmosphere.
"It's so great to see a community working together for everyone's benefit," he said. "The festival highlights the strong community base here in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, and I am so glad to be a part of it."
