Local Healers and Musicians Enjoy Northwest Herbal Fair

In a meadow ringed by trees, a 20-foot earthball rotated quietly admist the chatter of outdoor workshops, herbal vendors and children playing. It was the 11th annual NW Herbal Fair, a regional event that highlights education of medicinal herbs in a fun and festive atmosphere.

“My favorite aspect of the fair is the relaxed, family oriented environment,” said Jennifer LeMay, Sumner resident and owner of Inspirit Counseling.

This year, the Herb Fair location was at the Fire Mountain Boy Scout Camp overlooking a small lake. The prominent Boy Scout signs about stewardship made a fitting backdrop for the plant walks, healing circles and community sing-alongs. People could take breaks from workshops to go swim, swap massages, or learn some African dancing, which just added to the hum of festivities.

“These community vendors are great,” LeMay added during a lunch break, as she gestured toward the colorful tents. “I really appreciate all the informal consultations with herbalists.” This year, the Herb Fair boasted over 50 vendors ranging from plant nurseries, massage practitioners, herbal and wildcrafted medicinals, and educational non-profits.

On the edge of Main Circle, where attendees gathered each morning for songs and announcements, sat the workshop schedule board. People gathered around it to see updates and workshop locations. Over 100 workshops were held throughout the three-day event, many by renowned area herbalists.

“I took one class from Ryan Drum, PhD, and another from Julie Charrette Nunn," LeMay said. "I learned new medicinal herbs that I want to plant in my garden. Julie's workshop was on the healing powers of wild rose, and I look forward to collecting local rosehips this fall!"

Many children had no need to wait for fall for a local harvest. Huckleberry, salal, and thimbleberry were all ripe for the weekend and the general knowledge of many attendees directed younger members towards those plants instead of the toxic twinberry or red elder. Plant walks by different teachers also ran nearly all day long. LeMay's son Tristan was part of the kid pack and ran around all weekend with his friends Marshall Baccari (Puyallup) and Simon Richardson (Snohomish) over the fields and most likely toward the kid-popular mulberry tree in Main Circle.

Should there be need, there was a first aid tent, staffed by herbalists. Nearby was an EMT van, who's bored staffer said: “We're just here in case there's anything they [motioning to the herbalists] can't handle.” But the herbal-healthcare-in-action seemed to be doing just fine attending to bumps and bruises, menstural cramps, and requests for sleep aids by those camped out for the weekend.

Tyrone LaFay, long-time Herb Fair attendee and 'gate-keeper' at this year's gathering, estimated that over 1,000 people came through the gates.

“The Herb Fair location in the past was in a rural area outside Bellingham, and this current location allows more people to come for the day if that's all they have time for.” LaFay said. “If you think about all the workshops going on, and the vendors and free resources, and the evening events, the price-tag for attendence is a great deal.” ($25 for the day, whereas a workshop with Ryan Drum in Seattle would alone cost someone $25).

D'mitry Irish, past Sumner resident now living in Anacortes, agrees and said of the event, “I can truly say that I learned so much from the experience and that it was so much fun at the same time.”

During the day, she attended workshops and helped run the Poppy Swap booth, promoting an online herbal resource set up like etsy.com. And at night she enjoyed the singing, or the drumcircle, or the musical line-up at the stage, which included a handful of Pierce County musicians. “The music was one of my favorite parts of the whole weekend," she adds.

Evelyn Aako, Tacoma resident, and her band Underwater Radar played a great funk set late into the night (see a YouTube clip here). Members of the Tacoma band Mighty High teamed up with new friends and preformed excellent-never-practiced-before reggae songs with earth and plant themes.

“All of these beautiful people have had something to share and bring to the festival and I love that positive energy," said Irish.

As LeMay and her friend Johanna Bocian, owner of Puyallup-based Phoenix Soap Company, packed up Sunday night, they reflected on what they're bringing back from the Herbal Fair.

“This event is closely aligned to the mission of South Sound Healer's Network, a project we both work on,” said LeMay. “This Fair gave us resources and knowledge that help promote health and wellness in communities, & encourage us to live in balance with nature.”