IF LOTUSES ARE ON YOUR MIND... come the end of May, and the flowers' pink-white-green petals are filling your daydreams, and you find yourself longing to find someplace lake-y to sit beside, all to soak in all of the showy splendor of this particular blossom, well, that's understandable. After all, it is the end of May, give or take, when the lotuses of Southern California can begin to pop up, here and there, and we're only a few weeks out from the flowers' traditional window o' top bloom. That window arrives not long after summertime's official start, at least in this region, and parties at Echo Park Lake, and other leafy spots, pop up in honor of this glorious, gone-too-fast flower. And one of the most stunning gatherings for the lotus? It just happens to take place at the icon's namesake spread, in Santa Barbara. It is Ganna Walska Lotusland we speak of here, and LotusFest! 2018 will welcome lotus lovers on the second Sunday in July. That's...
JULY 8, yes it is, and the festival will last a flowery four hours, throughout the bulk of the afternoon. Does an easygoing Sunday afternoon, fully open lotuses, and a day trip to this exquisite historical property sound like just the balm your nature-loving heart is seeking at the moment? Then check it out: Tickets are on sale, yes, but there's an early-bird special spreading its pretty wings ahead of June 1. That's right, buy your entry before the start of June to LotusFest! and save. If you're not a member of the garden, your before-June price is $100 (admission for a non-member is $115 after June 1). The chance to try "... some of the area's finest wines and beers" is also part of the elegant afternoon, as is live music. And, of course, your ticket helps Ganna Walska Lotusland, which is not only home to some very famous lotus blossoms but a host of other California-amazing shrubbery, trees, and buds. Information is flowering, right now, on the Lotusland site.
