Savor the San Juans: Bounty as Boundless as the Salish Sea

By the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau

Why is autumn the proudest season? It’s fall of it! There is no better way to feel the pulse of island culture than to experience its food, and this fall, the “gourmet archipelago” proudly sets the table to experience the bounty of the San Juan Islands at its peak. Savor the San Juans returns for its 17th year, from mid-September to mid-November, with a new Restaurant Week on San Juan Island, film festivals, farm tours, harvest and wine dinners, and much more. Savor is a great way to ease into a slower time of year while basking in the food, spirits, music, and natural beauty of Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Islands.

Food & Farms

Fresh, local food and farms have fueled life in the San Juans for generations. Farmers and chefs share ideas and the freshest ingredients, creating a cuisine unique to the Islands that attracts foodies from all over. Recognition from the James Beard Foundation and Good Food Awards has added a level of cachet to our name. Visitors come here eager to experience the islands’ terroir.

More farmers than ever are offering locals and visitors the 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. Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Island each hosts a farm tour to revel in another successful harvest season. Press heritage apples for cider, learn safe food preservation techniques, how to process herbs for home remedies, and much more!

When it comes to locally made beverages, the San Juans have come into their own with distilleries, wineries, breweries, and vineyards on almost all the ferry-served islands. Savor these delicious brews starting with San Juan Island Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest on September 28th through Orcas Island’s Hops on the Rock on November 9th. Or discover your new favorite aperitif, dinner wine, or game-day beer when the tasting rooms are open.

Film

Each film festival — the Orcas Island Film Festival and the Friday Harbor Film Festival on San Juan Island — celebrates a sense of place and our connection to nature. Opportunities to meet directors and actors, Q & A’s with filmmakers, and discussions about important cultural and environmental issues are just part of the appeal.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, an impressive lineup of world-class films establishes the Orcas Island Film Festival (www.orcasfilmfest.com) as one of the best-kept secrets in the film world. The festival, October 16th-20th, features a curated selection of critically acclaimed international films and audience favorites direct from their debuts at the world’s greatest film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Telluride, Toronto, New York, and Seattle. Many of the films are award contenders at the Oscars each year and attendees will see these films before their official theatrical release.

Friday Harbor Film Festival – Stories from the Pacific Rim & Beyond (www.fhff.org), now in its 12th year, features over 50 award-winning documentaries and docu-dramas, sharing compelling stories about daring explorations and humanitarian, environmental and social issues. Several premieres, a filmmakers’ forum, and a screening of films by young filmmakers from across the globe will take place within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal, airport and docks.

Events

Lopez Farmers Market Saturdays from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14, in Lopez Village

Lopez Island Farm Tours – Oct. 11-13 on Lopez Island,

Island Ag Book Talk and Signing Oct. 11 at Lopez Center

Heritage Apple Day and Community Apple Press Oct. 12 at the Lopez Island Historical Society & Museum

Lopez Food Heroes Celebration Oct. 12 LIFE School Garden

Find more Savor events and specials at www.visitsanjuans.com/savor.