Lavender Nights is open at the 123 Farm, which is about about 45 minutes away from campus, and it has already caught the attention of California Baptist University students.
Aug. 24 to Oct. 29, Thursdays through Mondays from 5-10 p.m., Lavender nights are open. Students on campus took advantage of the opportunity to pile into their cars and head out for a night filled with lavender bliss.
During the autumn season and following their summer festival, the lavender blooms come to an end and 123 Farm ensures that the harvest is not wasted. Lights fill the fields for Lavender Nights.
“We’ll be lighting up a part of our lavender fields and our century-old olive grove so you can stroll through the romance and history of our farm. We’ll have lavender sweets and drinks available, as well as a full dinner menu with items fresh off the grill,” 123 Farm stated on its website.
During Lavender Nights, the farm lights up their fields with over 300,000 lights. They also have dogs roaming the fields who interact with the guests and a tractor ride that takes visitors to their 1000-year-old oak tree.
“So I kind of figured it was going to be one of those things where you show up, and there’s beautiful lavender and you walk through and then you call it a day,” said Peyton Bell, junior English major.
“When we pulled up for the first time, there was live music playing and lights everywhere and so much good food and just so many fun things that you could do. I was almost overwhelmed,” Bell said.
The trending farm caught the eye of many CBU students and kept them engaged in the experience upon their arrival at the lavender farm.
“It just felt very magical,” said Mckenna Williams, sophomore public relations major. “It felt like a different world. I can’t even explain it, but it just felt like a fairy tale. And yeah, I just loved all the lights that were coming through. Every part of it was lit up.”
The lavender-filled experience immersed the visitors with string lights and activities around the event, which included a walk through the trees and a gift shop with everything lavender.
Bell discussed the yearly traditional visit to the lavender farm after her initial experience.
“I think it’s always good to get off campus and do things with your friends because it’s just really cool to explore the surrounding area of Riverside and San Bernardino,” Williams said. “I remember when we were driving there, I was looking at the mountains, and I was like, wow, it’s just so pretty around here.”
The lavender farms are seen as a place for photo ops and Bell was pleasantly surprised that her experience turned out to be far greater than just a few pictures.
“I kind of viewed it more as a prop than anything else,” Bell said. “Like, oh, well, I go and get dressed up and have a nice time and take pictures with the beautiful flowers. And so again, I think I was not expecting it to be more of an experience than a photo op. And so that’s what has brought me back every year since.”
Whether it is for relaxation or simply a break from the academic routine, this charming lavender farm offers an enriching experience that can leave an impression and create lasting memories.
