11th Annual Savor the San Juans: Wine, Beer, Farms and Whales

Wine, wheat, and whales! Join in as the gourmet archipelago celebrates over a decade of great food, local farms, and independent filmmaking. Savor the San Juans has grown to encompass film festivals, farm tours, harvest dinners, workshops, a bike-and-brew and much more. Ease into a slower time of year while indulging in the culture, and natural beauty of Orcas, Lopez and the San Juan Islands. Sample the artistry of chefs like Food & Wine Best New Chef Jay Blackinton on Orcas or Nick Coffey at Ursa Minor on Lopez.

 Take advantage of lodging, dining and transportation specials during harvest season.

Here’s your chance to open the barn door to see behind the scenes at some of the islands’ most beautiful farms, creameries, wineries, flower gardens, shellfish farms and more. Taste Island Grown foods and wine, beer, cider, and spirits, during a selection of farm-to-table dinners by local chefs.

A sampling of events:

• All three islands will hold special all-day Farm Tours that include activities such as sheep shearing demonstrations, a fermentation workshop, cider pressing, and great local snacks. The San Juan Island Farm Tour takes place on September 9th, Lopez Island on September 29th, and Orcas Island on September 30th. More details coming soon.
• Coho Restaurant and Doe Bay Wine Company pair up on October 12th to provide an unforgettable wine dinner featuring wines from the Orcas Project -- small-production, limited release wines made in collaboration between acclaimed winemakers and vineyards in the Pacific Northwest.
• The Friday Harbor Film Festival will honor Captain Paul Watson, one of the founders of Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, with the Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award during the Opening Night Gala on October 26th.  The gala will include a screening of the film, Chasing the Thunder, a high-seas documentary that follows the eco-warriors as they engage on an epic chase of the notorious poaching vessel, the Thunder.
• The 2nd Annual Hops on the Rock festival is literally shutting down the streets of Eastsound on November 10th to host a weekend of drinking, dancing, and NovemBEER events all across Orcas Island. Live music, local food, and 20+ local breweries from around the region will be featured.

For more details and a complete list of events, visit the San Juan Island Visitors Bureau Savor website and watch for information on the Visit San Juan Islands Facebook Page. It will be a Medley of Food, Farms & Film, September 9th – November 10th, 2018.