Events for April 2014

Extra! Extra! A History of Newspapers of Skagit County.  Featured exhibit in partnership with Skagit Valley Publishing.  Celebrating the amazing legacy of news coverage in Skagit County.

   This exhibit highlights a collection of crazy quilts and embroidered suzanis that were gifted to the museum by the Miriam Wosk Family Trust in late 2012. The quilts and suzanis were collected by California artist Miriam Wosk (1947-2010) over her lifetime, and they served as inspiration pieces for her elaborate collage and painted works. The museum will also have images of select works from Miriam Wosk as examples of how textiles influenced her art.    

In a world of hurry and stress my work is slow and carefully considered. I hand paint my designs on silk and then create a complex design with hand stitching and applique. The aim is to create a richly stitched silk surface that catches the light and seems to glow from within. I am committed to doing my best and while the design is planned on paper first it changes as the stitching progresses. There is pleasure in ongoing challenge and satisfaction in discovering that others enjoy and are inspired by the art I create. The one thing I have learned is that there is always a way to express my ideas, even if it wasn’t exactly what I intended when I began.
Meet the artist on Saturdays beginning March 12.

Welcome to the 31st anniversary of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival!  The Festival runs from April 1 through April 30 with over 40 activities and events to choose from.  There are two growers of tulips, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town.  Between these two growers there are more than 1 million bulbs in all the colors of the rainbow planted for your viewing pleasure.

Will you be one of the hundreds of thousands of people will visit the Skagit Valley this year? We hope so – as one of Washington State’s most popular destination events, and a much-loved month for getaway vacations to La Conner, you’ll be treated to acres and acres of brightly colored tulips, display gardens that are simply stunning, and photo opportunities around every corner. In 2013 alone, the festival greeted visitors from all 50 states and from 53 foreign countries!

Our tulips bloom according to Mother Nature - buds can begin to color as soon as late March, or wait until closer to mid-April.  Warm spring weather produces an early bloom; cold weather means a later season.  Once a tulip field begins to color, that particular field will usually stay in bloom for about 2 weeks.  Each field is planted with different varieties, meaning not all fields will bloom at the same time. 

To get you started, we’ve provided you with access to the official Bloom Map which you can refer to as often as you want – it is updated daily to show you which fields are in bloom during the entire month of the festival.

And great news this year – the map will also track the bloom progress of our much-loved daffodils! While the tulips are our most famous blooms, there’s nothing quite as wonderful as entire fields of bright, cheery daffodils against our Mt. Baker backdrop. We like to call March La Conner’s Unofficial Daffodil Festival … not only because it’s just so beautiful, but because there are so many fun events and exhibits in La Conner during the month. If you can’t make it to Skagit Valley in April, join us in March this year!

La Conner is the center of all the Tulip (and, ahem, daffodil) Festival fun – we’re centrally located within all of the flower fields; during April alone La Conner is home to more than 20 terrific events , and our 3 nationally-recognized museums will host some truly amazing exhibits. From wine tastings to concerts, wellness workshops and the 29^nd annual Not-So-Impromptu Parade & Tulip Frolic, you’ll find something fun to do in La Conner no matter when you visit us! 

Because there is so much to see and do during Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2013, we recommend that you plan ahead and make reservations at one of La Conner’s lodging establishments. You’ll be centrally located and within a few minutes of all of the tulip fields and display gardens, plus you’ll be able to enjoy a visit to our waterfront village, shop in our many specialty stores and dine at one of our amazing restaurants.

There are not many valleys quite as beautiful as the Skagit Valley – and there certainly are even fewer valleys as gorgeous as ours is when the sun is out, the fields are ablaze with color and snow-covered Mount Baker offers a perfect backdrop.

Come visit us for Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2013, then come back every season and enjoy the beauty of our landscape.  We promise that you’ll absolutely love La Conner any time of the year!

Whether you’re coming to La Conner to see our fabulous fields of daffodils and tulips, or to experience La Conner any time of the year, call or stop the La Conner Visitor’s Center. Our awesome volunteers and staff can give you lots of information – including directions, brochures and maps. 511 Morris St. in La Conner; 360/466-4778.

Trolley through the Tulips with an All Inclusive Package for Two Sunday – Thursday. Choose between
La Conner’s Only Waterfront Hotel, La Conner Channel Lodge or a family friendly Inn on Second Street, Country Inn. This all inclusive package will include: Overnight Accommodations,           Entry Tickets for Tulip Town, 9” Tulip Pot to take home to remember your stay, Continental Breakfast, free parking and Wi-Fi.          
     
 

Do the tulips and other flora of Washington inspire you? Friends and members of the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum were issued a Challenge to use a floral theme and to experiment with a variety of fabrics, fibers, and textiles. On display are the results of their efforts; many pieces are for sale and the proceeds will be used to fund restoration and repairs to the Mansion’s picket fence. All entries will be displayed in the Museum beginning April 1, 2014 for at least one month or until sold.

For a seventh season, we will host an outstanding show of local artists from the Stanwood Camano Arts Guild located in our historic 1888 Schoolhouse. New and returning artists will display a multimedia celebration of styles including, outdoor stained glass garden art, paintings, jewelry, cards, photography, fiber arts and more.  A must-see stop while touring the picturesque daffodil and tulip fields of the Skagit Valley.
 

Learn how you can control your food’s growing environment, eliminating the need for pesticides and messy growing mediums by using Aeroponics. Allyson McCormick will show you how to be in control of your food from seed to harvest right in your back yard, deck, patio, or even indoors! With the right equipment, bountiful harvests of healthy fruits and vegies are easily and sustainably grown in small spaces.
 

Watch while artist JoAnne Hoehne creates her exquisite, one-of-a-kind glass mosaics at the Ann Hardee Gallery.

Learn to pattern cloth with the rich, ancient colors of the earth. Paint, screen, stamp, resist, and discharge cloth with natural dyes, creating textiles with depth and character. Colors made from plants and insects are more complex than chemical dyes and bond the dyer with cloth making traditions from around the world and throughout history. Dried extracts of these timeless dyes offer new levels of flexibility and control, freeing the fiber artist to use a multitude of patterning techniques.

Veteran's eat free at this complimentary event! Come and enjoy a delicious meal while sharing in conversation with other's who have a similar experience.

Formed in Nashville, The SteelDrivers is a group of seasoned veterans who have braided their bluegrass roots with new threads of their own design, bringing together country, soul, and other contemporary influences to create an unapologetic hybrid that is old as the hills but fresh as the morning dew. This is new music with the old feeling. SteelDrivers fan Vince Gill describes the band?s fusion as simply, ?an incredible combination.? They have been invited to perform on numerous radio and TV shows ranging from The Grand Ole Opry to NPR?s Mountain Stage to the Conan O?Brien show.

Easter Gift Show Cascade Mall 201 Cascade Mall Drive Burlington, WA 98233 April 12th and 13th Sat. 10am-9pm Sun. 11am-6pm www.elegantcraftshows.com

Beginning April 12, the Artist will be in her exhibit to talk with visitors. Don’t miss this opportunity to talk with the artist one-on-one! Marianne does a unique variation of a Kantha stitch (a stitch from India); this stitch, combined with her hand painted silk fabrics, creates a surface rich in texture and color. Burr’s work has been featured in prestigious art quilt shows, exhibitions, and publications around the globe, including the US, Brazil, Japan, France, Australia, and Germany.
 

30 Wineries 6 Restaurants overlooking the beautiful Guemes Channel in Anacortes Tickets include keepsake tasting glass, bites from 6 local restaurants & entertainment Street parking 21+ only must have ID Advanced tickets $40 /$45 At the Door Designated Driver $20 Advanced/ $25 At the Door No Smoking No kids or dogs

We can't wait to host our first visit with Luke Branford, owner/winemaker for COR Cellars in the Columbia Gorge.  With studies overseas including winemaking stints in Italy, Luke understands the importance of soil and vineyard location, and is a big fan of Columbia Gorge wineries.  Come sample delicious, limited COR Cellars wines, take advantage of big case discounts and have a glass pour of course!

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Fun & Wacky Side
One of the reasons so many people love La Conner is that we have events like the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Not-So-Impromptu Tulip Parade! You’ll see the wacky side of the Skagit Valley – the funny and whimsical side of folks who live here, visit here, and just plain want a place to have a whole bunch of fun celebrating all things Tulip and all things Spring.

The parade is on Saturday, April 12 this year; at 2pm, join us as U.S. Bank proudly sponsors the 29th Annual Kiwanis Club Not-So-Impromptu Tulip Parade along Morris and First Streets.  
This is an absolute hoot of a parade – bring your lawn chairs (and maybe a jacket if it’s chilly outside) and join in our hilarity of farm animals, clowns, bands, mascots and your favorite pets.

Bring the family and join us from 10am-3pm in Gilkey Square for Kid's Zone at the Tulip Frolic - lots of family fun, organized by the La Conner Boys and Girls Club and sponsored by Country Financial.  

All entries are also welcome to participate in the parade and it is FREE! Any size entry is welcome – contact the Visitor Information Center for more information on how you can participate in the parade (info@laconnerchamber.com or 360-466-4778) or click here for a parade entry form. You can even fill out an entry form the day of the parade if you have a last minute urge to join in our wacky fun! 

If you're entering the parade, the parade line-up is on 6th Street in La Conner at the school complex. Day of parade entries welcome! 

Over 60 Japanese-American residents of Skagit County were removed from their homes and sent to ‘relocation’ camps during
World War II. Re-live a small part of their experience in this compelling exhibit.
 

Please join the Skagit River Poetry Foundation and Museum of Northwest Art for an evening of poetry honoring Washington State?s third Poet Laureate, Elizabeth Austen. Poets Samar Abulhassen, Jane Alynn, Michael Daley, Georgia Johnson and student poets John and Ellie Harrison and Tess Bruland will read as will Elizabeth. Wine and appetizers. Donations at the door.

The La Conner Elementary Student Leadership kids (students representing grades 2-5) have organized a Dedication Ceremony that will at once highlight the talents of our elementary students through creative writing, dance and music AS WELL AS serve as the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new playground equipment purchased through Parent Teacher Student Association fundraising efforts. This student-led and orchestrated event is open to families of LCES and any La Conner community members. Please join us as we celebrate the joys and blessings of our new school. This ceremony kicks off an 18-month fundraising goal. La Conner's Fit & Fun-raiser hopes to raise $35,000 and will ultimately complete the elementary playground with "The Dynamo Beehive;" a steel-framed climbing structure made of steel-loaded polyamide cables, coated with a UV guard. The structure will help bring movement, balance, exercise and fun back into the playground - all important aspects to the mental and physical health of our children. Anyone interested in donating to La Conner's Fit & Fun-raise may contact laconnerptsa@gmail.com or call 360-466-3171.

Adult Hunt- Saturday April 19th at 1pm (age 21 +)
Kids Hunt - Sunday April 20th at noon (age 4-11)

The Skagit Valley is noted for some of the best farmland in the world. ?Celebrate Skagit ~ Dinner on the Farm? offers guests an elegant dining experience in a unique agricultural setting. Each dinner showcases and celebrates the bounty of food and produce grown in and around the Skagit Valley. A renowned local chef will prepare fresh local ingredients for this one-of-a-kind, field-to-plate, elegant dining experience for 50 guests in a rustic setting. Your evening will begin with appetizers and a tour of the host farm. Then, an incredible four-course dinner paired with Washington Wines will be served at a beautiful tablescape. The experience is unparalleled and will leave you with a supreme appreciation of the bounty that is produced in one of the last fully functioning agricultural valleys in the Puget Sound.

International Juried & Judged Show sponsored by the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum. Categories include: Traditional Quilts, Art Quilts, Wearable Art, and Fiber Art. Best of Show, First place winners in each Category, and the Merit of Award winners, will be featured in a special exhibit at the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum from October 9-November 23, 2014. Fee per entry:  $30, Members of the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum $20 per entry. Deadline for entry midnight PST, June 30, 2014.
http://www.laconnerquilts.org/quilt--fiber-arts-festival.html
 

Like the flowers she's chosen to use in her branding, which has blossomed into a fragrance, Lee Lindsey is a tall poppy and her passion for pursuing her music and her dreams, has made Lindsey stand out in this garden we call life. Lindsey is part country (minus the twang), part folk, with a healthy dose of Americana; her music is a lovely mix of sombre and idyllic songs, perfect for both hipsters and their discerning parents. Her thoughtful lyrics fuse beautifully to her ultra feminine and youthful voice, making listening to her music an empowering experience. "Flowers", is her most raw and personal album to date, on which Lindsey shares both heartaches and triumphs. Her title track video for "Flowers" was unveiled only one year ago on YouTube and has had almost 17,000 views and she continues to build and grow her loyal fan base. Lindsey, now in the wake of her successful fall of 2013 North American 'Flower Power Tour', is searching for more avenues in which to spread her sunshiny self. Heading south and on the road again down the West Coast, across to Georgia, Florida, North Carolina then up back through the Rocky Mountains, home. She?ll be performing with a violinist & guitarist as an acoustic trio, touring May through June.Lee is set to greet old friends and make new ones on her 'Flower Power Tour Too?! For all media Inquiries please contact: Katie Andreychuk katie@tallpoppyrecords.com 604 929 4293

In celebration of McIntyre Hall's 10th Anniversary Season, we invite you to join us for a great night of cake, music. and dancing with our local favorites: The Prozac Mountain Boys, as their name suggests, offer an uplifting, therapeutic mixture of traditional, bluegrass and modern music. They combine bluegrass instrumentation with rich vocal harmonies to create a surprisingly familiar, intimate blend of yesterday and today. From Bill Monroe to Bob Dylan, from The Beatles to The Grateful Dead, no music is safe from The Prozac Mountain Boys. Maggie?s Fury combines the rousing melodies of the Irish fiddle and whistle with spirited vocal harmonies likened to Eastern Canadian Maritime traditions. Add a touch of modern folk rock and you have the perfect recipe for Celtic mayhem pack to the kilt with harmony, passion and spirit. Based in Bellingham, WA, Maggie?s Fury has been entertaining the local pub and Celtic festival scene for 15 years.

Rhododendrons put on one of the most eagerly awaited flower shows in spring. Not only do rhodies provide a burst of fabulous springtime color and add year-round interest to your landscape, their bud and blossom cuttings make stunning spring bouquets. Come get inspired by the Komo Kulshan Rhododendron Society’s Flower Show, held in the Propagation House here at the Nursery.
 

We were so impressed with Anto Lin Cellars wines last year, that we invited them back for another round!  This small winery in the Yakima Valley area sources grapes from unique, special vineyards and the result last year was Washington's highest rated Viognier.  Their entire line up is very good, with particular nod to the Carmenere and Riesling (and of course the Viognier).  Come taste the passion in the small family production of Anto Lin Cellars!