Two unique events of the summer in Allegany County are coming up this weekend after the Fourth of July celebrations.

Once again, the Lavender Festival in Angelica will coincide with the Caneadea Field Day in Houghton on Saturday.

The 17th Annual Lavender Festival, created by a group known as the Lavender Bunch, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, in Park Circle in Angelica. More than 90 vendors are lined up for this event, which features lavender-inspired arts and crafts, food, some plants and coincides with the weekly farmer’s market.

The Lavender Festival is the result of an attempt to create a cottage industry in the county around the growing of lavender. A small group of Angelica women calling themselves the Lavender Bunch wanted to improve the economy of the area and provide an opportunity for women. But the county’s climate proved to be non-conducive for the widespread cultivation of the non-indigenous purple plant. Nevertheless, the Lavender Festival was the result.

One steadfast requirement for festival vendors is that they incorporate lavender into their offerings, which results in some interesting foods, colorful jewelry and more.

The festival will feature artisans, crafters, food, vendors and music. The quaint boutiques and eateries that line Main Street will also be open to the public in the town where history was made.

Marika Kaake, one of the founders of the festival, said the event grows every year with visitors attending from across Central and Western New York. She is looking for help at the festival tent because she can’t be in all places at all times; contact her at (585) 466-3001 or connect with her on Facebook.

Bill Crouse is a traditional Seneca drummer who will be playing at the Caneadea Field Day in Houghton on Saturday. (Provided)

A few miles down the road, as the crow flies, in Houghton, a different kind of event for the area will be taking place to honor the county’s first inhabitants — the Seneca Indians. In the Caneadea Town Park, off Route 19, the 3rd annual Caneadea Field Day will also be getting underway at 10 a.m. with an opening ceremony scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

This event is the result of a collaboration between the town, a committee promoting the Genesee River front and the Seneca Nation a little over three years ago.

For centuries, long before colonial settlers flooded into the area, the Senecas lived and thrived by hunting and farming. But the Senecas, like the other Haudenosaunee tribes across the state, were collateral victims of the Revolutionary War. In 1797 the area around Houghton, became the Caneadea reservation as a result of the Big Tree Treaty. The Senecas lived on the 8-mile-long stretch of land along the Genesee until 1826, when they sold it to land speculators and moved north and east.

The indigenous people didn’t set foot back on their ancestral homeland for nearly 200 years. They returned in 2023 after the agreement with the town’s representatives and together have organized Caneadea Field Day to display the Seneca culture and the history of the county.

The one-day event starts with a flag-raising of both the American and the Seneca Nations. Throughout the day there will be cultural events including native arts and crafts, agricultural exhibits, dance exhibitions and lacrosse exhibitions and games. Traditional and non-traditional foods will be available for purchase.

There will be a Seneca storyteller and hands-on children’s activities. The closing ceremony will be at 3:45 p.m.

The event is free, but there is a $5 fee to park in the fire department’s parking lot.

The organizers aren’t worried about their event coinciding with the Lavender Festival in Angelica. They say there’s plenty of time to visit both events and they aren’t that far apart.

For more information about these events go to their respective Facebook pages.