PITTSFORD, Vt. — Imagine a picture-perfect, irreplaceable Vermont July day. Now, add 41 vendors offering handmade crafts, art, bath and beauty products, and more. Friendly conversation and gentle laughter from a bounce house surround you. On your picnic blanket, you have a freshly fried chicken sandwich and a freshly squeezed lemonade, or perhaps a New England IPA or craft cocktail if you so choose to imbibe. Now, add lavender in bloom. Lots and lots of it, and its clean scent carrying on the summer air.
The over 1,400 attendees to Pittsford’s Sunshine Village Lavender Farm’s second annual “You-Pick” Lavender Festival this past July 11th do not have to imagine — they were there.
Three generations of the Paulding family own and operate the farm, located off of Route 7 in the southside of town. Together with a core group of volunteers, the family once again welcomed visitors to their home, where guests could tour their ecological, all-by-hand crop and harvest their own lavender to take home.
Most vendors were local, but some traveled from across Vermont, greater New England, or eastern New York to join in. First-time vendor and Paulding family friend, Joan Major, was on-site, offering handcrafted jewelry featuring vintage glass, self-authored inspirational poems to accompany dragonfly pieces, and plans to use Sunshine Village’s lavender in resin pieces in the future. When Major learned about the festival, she made sure to add it to her 2026 schedule. “I thought, ‘Wow, how cool is that?’ I’ll be there for sure!”
Since the festival, the family has been hard at work launching a retail farm store where visitors will find t-shirts, merchandise such as coloring books of photos of the farm, along with the assortment of lavender-based personal products, of course. Meanwhile, the Pauldings are excitedly looking to grow the events and weddings aspect of their operations, inviting couples to come take a walk through the isolated and private, yet still very accessible, spots on the land for the perfect Vermonty ceremony.
Building and fostering a community is central to the family and farm, Ty Paulding explained. In addition to the growing festival, which has quickly become one of the staple events of Pittsford’s community calendar for the summer, Sunshine Village is expanding their disc golf course from nine to 18 holes. The sport has become one of many avenues for community building for the Pauldings, as the farm hosts leagues and pro-am series and partners with others on charity events.
For the past three years, Paulding has collaborated with Lumberjack Disc Golf and Pittsford Rec to hold the Sugar Hollow Ice Bowl, which challenges disc golfers to a round of the sport in Vermont’s harsh and wintery January. “In three years we’ve raised over $25,000 for Pittsford Food Shelf. Donations come in from the community, from sponsors, players take pledges, some get matching donors.” Sunshine, ironically, is not required at all — the farm offers “glow” leagues and events where disc golfers play under the stars, assisted by minimal lights and glow-in-the-dark tape and discs.
Ty expressed that in addition to continuing to make the farm an open space for the town, whether disc golf related or otherwise, he feels a calling to be part of strengthening local ties and bonds. “Why do the charitable work? We have the means to do a lot of good, and someone ought to do something.” For Ty and his family, it is that simple.
Those wanting to learn more about Sunshine Village Lavender Farm are encouraged to visit, and also to follow on Facebook, Instagram, or visit the website, sunshinevillagelavenderfarmvt.com, where visitors can find more information.
Photos by Chris Szczerba.
