Central Coast Lavender · Community history
A little lavender.
A whole community.
The story of the Central Coast Lavender Festival, and the people who helped it grow in Paso Robles.
From a personal patch to City Park.
Lavender began as a personal patch for Lila Avery-Fuson. Sharing what she learned led her to establish the Central Coast Lavender Growers Association, bringing growers and their questions together.
In 2008, Lila presented the festival idea to the Paso Robles City Council. With Norma Moye and the Paso Robles Main Street Association, that idea became the first festival in 2009. Lila remembers more than 7,000 people arriving—far beyond what she had imagined.
A celebration for all the senses.
Downtown restaurants joined in with lavender-inspired food. Growers, makers, and visitors gathered around the many possibilities of lavender. Amtrak became a title sponsor, a partnership Lila managed for many years, bringing to life her dream of visitors arriving by train.
Artist Laure F. Carlisle’s watercolors became part of the festival’s visual identity. The selected posters below preserve those years and the Central Coast Lavender Growers Association’s place in that story.
The festival today
The story continues in downtown Paso Robles.
Today, Paso Robles Main Street Association promotes the Paso Robles Olive and Lavender Festival. Visit the Association for official festival information, event updates, and participation inquiries.
Official festival information ↗ Main Street’s event calendar ↗This is a historical collection from Central Coast Lavender. The linked festival page currently describes the May 9, 2026 event; consult Main Street for future announcements.
From Lila’s collection
Years of gathering together.
Selected festival posters, 2009–2019. Open any poster to view it in full. The festival did not take place in 2020 because of the shutdown.
Historical recollections: Lila Avery-Fuson. Read Lila’s full story, Looking Back at All We’ve Shared.
One lavender story. Many ways to explore.