The Two Man Gentlemen Band performs at the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.

The festival begins on Thursday, May 24, with a Pre-Festival Kickoff Event: African Rhythms — Celtic Soul. Early festival goers will be treated to Baka Beyond, a highly original Afro-Celtic danceband. Band members come from six different European and African countries. Keeping still while you listen is not an option. This could be worth an extra long weekend.

Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts celebrates the arts in all its mediums, but it is music that takes center stage.

The 2012 lineup includes:

• Allen Stone, the amazing 24 year son of a preacher man who is taking the world by the ears.

• Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, known as the Lion of Zimbabwe.

• Locarno, featuring Tom Landa and an exciting blend of Mexican, Cuban Son, Folk Music, Pop and Funk.

• The Two Man Gentlemen Band, playing hot, raucous, retro swing.

See Locarno at the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.

• Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys. Sheer exuberance.

• Zili Misik. 7 women from Boston draw from Haitian, Brazilian and West African traditions to create a sound uniquely its own.

A Street Fair runs throughout the festival, boasting more than 60 food, artisan and craft booths. The Street Fair opens at noon on Friday, May 25 and continues through 5 p.m. on Memorial Day. Look for Olympic Peninsula Wineries and pick up a bottle of Washington State Wine to enjoy at the end of your day.

Juan de Fuca After Hours stretches the music into the night. Four downtown establishments will host festival performers from 10 p.m. to midnight or beyond. Admittance is free with a Festival Pass. There is no need to stop dancing just because the sun goes down!

The setting of the festival is lovely, with the stunning Olympic Mountains in one direction and Vancouver Island and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the other. When you need to rest those dancing feet, find a good spot to take in the views.

All ages are welcome at the Juan de Fuca Festival. Music is for everyone.

The Juan de Fuca Festival is nestled between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

 Additional information is available at Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.

The Irrigation Festival is underway!

The 2012 annual Sequim Irrigation Festival begins today, May 4. The theme is 117 & Still Growin’ Green.

The Irrigation Festival flows from the vast irrigation system that early settlers created. Sequim was transformed from a dry valley to a land of fertile fields and abundant crops. Agriculture remains an important part of Sequim’s economy and identity, as a trip to the weekly Farmers Market reveals.

The Irrigation Festival begins with the First Friday Art Walk, when Sequim’s art galleries stay open late and host special events.

It continues on May 5 and 6 with an Arts and Crafts Fair on Bell Street, between Sequim and 2nd Avenues. Each year brings a great variety of items, food booths, and local entertainment. The weekly Sequim Open Aire Market, on Cedar Street between Sequim and 2nd Avenues, showcases a wealth of fresh produce from local farmers.

Look for various Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries at the markets, and bring a bottle of Washington State Wine home with you, to help you remember the event.

Watch the Grand Parade on May 12.

The following weekend starts Friday evening with a Logging Show, a Truck and Tractor Pull, and a Strongman Showdown. This brawny evening concludes with fireworks.

Saturday, May 12 is the Kids Parade, the Classic Car Show, and the 117th Irrigation Festival Grand Parade.

The Carnival comes to town Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. As always, there’ll be rides and fun for the entire family.

Sequim’s Irrigation Festival runs May 4-13, 2012. Come enjoy the nation’s oldest festival.

Live music at the Port Townsend Farmers Market.

Last year, the Port Townsend Farmers Market was recognized as the best large Farmers Market in the state. Colorful produce lines the stalls, the smell of freshly-baked breads permeates the air, and music sets the mood. People shop, congregate, eat and dance. Is there a better place to be between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on a Saturday? We think not.

Check out the Port Townsend Farmers Market, Saturday mornings.

In a few weeks, the smaller but no less note-worthy Chimacum Corner Farmers Market opens. It starts May 20 and runs Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the fall. If you happen to find yourself craving fresh produce on a Sunday in Chimacum prior to that, stop by the Chimacum Corner Farmstand. You can’t miss it; it’s the cheerful yellow store in the heart of Chimacum.

Spend a weekend on the Olympic Peninsula this spring. Visit Olympic Peninsula Wineries* and taste locally made, Washington State wine. Visit the Port Townsend Farmers Market and stock up on locally grown fresh produce and other treats. Discover the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

* Several of our member Washington State Wineries and Cideries are located in and around Port Townsend. FairWinds Winery is located in Port Townsend. Eaglemount Wine and Cider is located outside of Port Townsend off Route 20, and Finnriver Farm & Cidery is located in Chimacum.

Photos from the Port Townsend Farmers Market Video by Oliver Henry.

Nice weather? Treat mom to a picnic on the beach.

Eight Washington State Wineries and Cideries call the Olympic Peninsula home. Some of the wines they produce are made from grapes and other fruits grown right here, on the peninsula. Come learn all about what they do during a Mother’s Day outing.

Have fun finding your favorite wines. Do you and Mom prefer sweet whites or robust reds? Perhaps you like dry whites or softer reds. Have you tried artisinal hard cider?

Make a weekend of it so you can take your time and wine taste at your leisure. Stay in a hotel overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Townsend, a vacation rental in Sequim, or a historic Bed and Breakfast in Port Townsend. Discover the many fine restaurants that call the Olympic Peninsula home: the Alderwood Bistro in Sequim; Fins Coastal Cuisine in Port Townsend; the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. Get picnic fixings at the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market, or the Chimacum Corner Store.

You’ll find many varietals at our member Olympic Peninsula Wineries. Help your mom find her favorite during a Mother’s Day weekend wine tasting extravaganza!

Sunset at Kalaloch, in the Olympic National Park.

Many of the people who visit our 8 member Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries are either coming from- or going to- the coast. They come from the greater Seattle area and they come from east of the Cascade Mountains. They travel from Canada and they come from points farther south and east. People are drawn to the Washington Coast. We’re not surprised.

Some visitors want to walk to the tip of Cape Flattery, the most northwestern point in the lower 48. Others come to see the sea stacks off the beaches of La Push, or to hike from Ozette Lake to the coast. Some dream of running on the wide, sandy beaches of Kalaloch. Others dream of digging for clams on the beaches of Moclips.

Whatever your reasons for visiting the Olympic Coast, we hope you’ll take time to visit some of the Washington State Wineries located on the Olympic Peninsula. Sample some of the wines made here, and when you find one you like, bring it with you. Share it while camping or bring it back home and, as you sip it, remember the magnificent Olympic Coast.

Wine and cheese. Yum.

Join Washington State Wineries and Cideries on the Olympic Peninsula for the 2012 NW Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14 and 15.

Read on for a list of what not to miss. Additional information is available on our Olympic Peninsula Wineries Events page.

Black Diamond Winery

• Sip 2007 Syrah and Muller Thurgau with three types of Golden Glen Creamery Fresh Curd.
• Finish with Plum and Raspberry wines.

Camaraderie Cellars

• Sip Trinquer, a delicious white blend, and nibble amazing blue cheese cookies from Spoonful Caterers.
• Try the newly released Malbec with several cheeses from Wilapa Hills Creamery.

Eaglemount Wine & Cider

• Sample the new Cabernet Sauvignon and hard cider.

FairWinds Winery

• Try Back Country Creamery’s Trailblazer with a glass of Gewurztraminer.
• Enjoy Summit House with a glass of the Cabernet/Merlot blend.
• Discover the wonderful combination of Camp Chego and Mead.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery

• Enjoy spring goat cheeses from Mystery Bay Farm with glasses of sweet wine and sparkling cider.

Harbinger Winery

• Try the 2010 Rose with any cheese.
• Sip the Reserve Syrah with cheddar aged near the banks of the Samish River.
• Pair Raspberry Bliss (made from locally grown berries) with a smokey blue cheese from the Rogue Valley.

Olympic Cellars

• Enjoy the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with Golden Glen Creamery’s Double-Cream River Cheddar.
• Try the 2009 Chardonny alongside a Wine and Cheese Soup and artisan bread with Golden Glen butter.

Wind Rose Cellars

• Sample a variety of Black Sheep Creamery cheeses with the 2011 Pinot Grigio, the 2010 Barbera dry rose, and the 2010 Dolcetto.

Participate in our upcoming photo contest.

The Olympic Peninsula is a scenic place.

Bring your camera to the Olympic Peninsula Wineries NW Wine and Cheese Tour on April 14 and 15, 2012. All are invited to participate in our first annual “Sip Wine and Cider, Say Cheese” Photo Contest.

Our wineries and cideries are located in some truly lovely spots.

• Olympic Cellars’ historic barn, with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Finnriver Farm & Cidery’s rolling fields and orchards.

• Camaraderie Cellars’ expansive patio and lush gardens.

• Harbinger Winery’s cool, industrial setting.

• Black Diamond Winery’s acres of grapes overlooking Tumwater Creek.

• Eaglemount Wine & Cider’s lovely historic homestead and orchards.

• FairWinds Winery overlooking the Olympic Mountains outside Port Townsend.

• Wind Rose Cellars’ cozy tasting room in the heart of downtown Sequim.

Finnriver Farm and Cidery.

Take photos of the scenery, the Washington wine, hard cider, the cheese. We’re looking for memorable photos to mark the occasion. The top 3 entries will be posted on the Olympic Peninsula Wineries website and Facebook page. Winners will receive a pair of tickets to the 2012 Harvest Wine Tour, November 11-13.

The historic barn at Olympic Cellars.

The NW Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14 & 15, 2012.

It is widely believed that the first cheese came into being shortly after the earliest domestication of sheep and goats. It was most likely discovered by accident. Milk was frequently stored in animal skins, which contain rennet; the combination of rennet, movement, and time caused the milk to separate into curds and whey.

Once there were curds, cheese was on its way.

The years have been good to cheese. Ancient Romans were among the first to elevate cheese making to a fine art, but they were not the last. Over time, one civilization after another experimented with cheese, playing with flavors and textures.

Recent years have witnessed a resurgence in farmstead and artisanal cheese making. Those of us who live in Washington State are blessed to have many such fine cheese makers among us.

Join Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries the weekend of April 14-15, 2012, for the Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour. Discover enchanting combinations of Washington State Wine and Cheese. And raise your glass in thanks to the first people who thought to store their goat milk in animal skins.

We're looking forward to trying the cheese from Black Sheep Creamery.

It’s hard to think of a more perfect combination than wine and cheese. Perhaps that’s because both wine and cheese are so diverse. There are big, bold Cabernets and there are light, effervescent, whites. There are delicate goat cheeses and strong blue cheeses. It would be easy to devote a lifetime to finding perfect combinations of wines and cheeses, and people have. The right combination can be out-of-this-world.

The Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula are looking forward to trying new combinations of Washington State Wines and Cheeses during our upcoming Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14-15, 2012.

Read on for a list of participating cheesemakers, and make your plans to attend the Olympic Peninsula’s 2012 Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour.

Mystery Bay Farm of Marrowstone Island. The goats of Mystery Bay Farm live a happy life on five pastoral acres. The cheese made from their milk is divine. We look forward to pairing their Chevre with several Washington State Wines from the Olympic Peninsula.

Mt. Townsend Creamery taps into the rich dairy farming history of the Olympic Peninsula for its milk. The cheeses crafted in Port Townsend are products of the peninsula, through and through.

Whiskey Hill Farm of Port Townsend has happy Nubian and French Alpine goats. We’re looking forward to trying their Greek Feta and Northwest King with a variety of our Olympic Peninsula Wines.

The Cheese made at Willapa Hills Farmstead of Doty is blue and creamy and delicious. We know there is a perfect Washington wine to match it.

Black Sheep Creamery of Chehalis makes a variety of cheeses from their sheep milk. We hope to serve their Black Sheep Tomme, a nutty cheese that goes beautifully with Syrah.

Golden Glen Creamery of Bow makes wonderful cheese from milk produced by their Holstein, Guernsey and Jersey cows. We look forward to trying several of their cheddars with several Washington State Wines.

Please visit our Events page to learn more about the NW Wine and Cheese Tour

Trees. Blossoms. Fruit. We are blessed.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery is leaving nothing to chance. All are invited to join them on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 2:30 to 4:30 for their annual Community Apple Orchard Blessing.

This is a festive occasion. The Apple Orchard Blessing includes a bagpipe processional through the apple orchard, story-telling, hot cider, songs, and tree blessing. All ages are welcome, from babes in arms to older folks leaning on elbows and canes.

March is Washington State Wine Month. In honor of this, folks who visit the Tasting Room at Finnriver Farm and Cider will receive 15% off any purchase of the following cider & fruit wine cocktail pairings.

     Pear Squared. Celebrate the elegance of the pear.

     Pear in Love. Features Finnriver’s newly released Raspberry Brandy Wine.

     Black Currant Kir Finnriver. A local twist on the classic kir.