Farms, Fiber and Scarecrows Return Oct. 7

Posted

Sara Thompson, KP News

Photo: Danna Webster, KP News

Get ready to celebrate: “100 Years of Farming” is the theme for this year’s Key Peninsula Farm Tour, the oldest in Pierce County. Events start in September and culminate with the tour Saturday, Oct. 7.

“This is the best attended event on the Key Peninsula,” said Danna Webster, liaison between the Key Peninsula Community Council and the farm tour. “Last year, more than 1,000 people came.” At least that number of attendees is expected this year.

The tour was established in 2006 by Trillium Creek Winery to participate in the Pierce County/WSU HarvestFEST. When government funding for the program was depleted, local farmers established a committee of the community council and assumed responsibility for the farm tours.

In 2007, the Longbranch Improvement Club Fiber Arts Show joined the tour. Gateway Park became a part of the tour in 2012 and the KP Fire Department pancake breakfast was added in 2013.

A baker’s dozen of locations are on the tour. Some may be familiar from previous years. The Key Center firehouse pancake breakfast is scheduled from 8 to 11 a.m. Gateway Park will serve as the information center with maps and several booths and its new playground will be open. Sunnycrest Nursery, Bea’s Flowers, Minterbrook Oyster Farm, PackLeader Farm, YMCA Camp Seymour, the Lakebay Marina and Kaukiki Farm are also included.

Sunnycrest will be hosting a pumpkin beauty pageant with an award for the largest KP homegrown pumpkin.

There are three new locations. Grand Farms in Vaughn will be of interest to horse lovers. The new Lakebay Church Community garden will feature its solar powered well and newly constructed raised beds. And Historic Faraway on Filucy Bay will also join this year.

The Fiber Arts Show at the LIC will have 25 artists displaying and selling their work in the building and booths outside will feature woodworkers, natural honey and homemade soaps and lotions.

This year’s featured artist is Terry Logan of The Logger’s Daughter, who creates wearable art. She first picked up a needle and thread at age 5 and learned how to use a sewing machine by age 11. “Clothing may be the most visible expression of who we are,” she said. “My goal is to create high quality, carefully finished clothing that can be savored with each wearing.”

School Bus Connects will provide transportation with continuous loops to selected destinations. The north loop will leave Gateway Park and continue to Bea’s Flowers, Minterbrook and Camp Seymour. The south loop will leave the LIC and travel to Kaukiki and Faraway.

Food and music will be available at various locations.

 

Farm Tour Art Show Sept. 1 to Oct. 10 at Blend Wine Shop in Key Center

 

The Scarecrow Invasion: Scarecrows on display in Key Center from Sept. 16 to Oct. 31. Businesses, individuals, groups and organizations are encouraged to join the competition. Entry forms available online at the farm tour website: www.kpfarmtour.com.

Farm Tour Night on the Town Sept. 28: 6 to 6:50 p.m. Artists Reception at Blend Wine Shop 7 to 8 p.m. “Farm Tales—150 Years of Change” presented by Christine Anderson of the KP Historical Society at the Key Center Library 8 p.m. Winners of the Scarecrow Invasion announced [/box]


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