Over two weekends in June, the Chateau Couveau Lavender Farm in Wildomar is welcoming the public to its property to pick fresh lavender, explore vendors, food, drinks, face paintings, farm made products and more.

There will also be plenty of opportunities for photos, and best of all — they encourage guests to meet the farm’s sheep.

Each one-hour session is $14 per person. Children 4 and younger may enter for free.

The four-day event will span over two weeks. There are four sessions per evening. Friday and Saturday, June 20 & 21 and Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28. For example, times are 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m., according to the farm.

Here’s what tickets include:

• Free parking
• 1 Hour U-Pick Experience in the Lavender field.
• One Field Lavender Bouquet (aproximately 100 stems).
• Plenty of pretty photo ops.
• Unique local vendors to shop from, including a food vendor each day.
• Learn about the working farm (Harvesting, Essential Oil and Hydrosol production)

The farm also urges attendees to remember that lavender attracts bees and to proceed with caution.

“If you are allergic to bee stings please take all necessary precautions to ensure your health and safety,” according to the farm.

Tickets must be purchased online to enter. Buy tickets and find more information here.

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Thanks to the unwavering support of over 60 local sponsors and volunteers, the event remained entirely free for families, continuing its tradition of bringing the San Jacinto Valley together through shared joy, outdoor fun, and unforgettable memories.

Tournament Results

Age 6–10 Category:

1. 1. Kaylie Tugado
2. 2. Aiden Mounphoxay
3. 3. Isabella Grace
4. 4. Trenton Meredith
5. 5. Chevelle Schmitz
6. 6. Michael Church
7. 7. Hailey Nunez
8. 8. Margot Lobby
9. 9. Grayson Brown
10. 10. Brayden Pfadt

Age 11–15 Category:

1. 1. Alfonso Paez
2. 2. Aiden Paez
3. 3. Sean Rowe
4. 4. Allisyn Turner
5. 5. Wyatt Dudley
6. 6. Aiden Vannortwick
7. 7. Katelyn Ruiz
8. 8. Bradley Wilson
9. 9. Logan Turkmany
10. 10. London Kuehn

Kaylie Tugado also took home the award for Biggest Fish, reeling in an impressive 7-pound catch! In addition to her trophy, she received four tickets to SeaWorld, generously donated by Steve and Dr. Kristie Dimemmo.

Community Leaders and Law Enforcement Step In

The event was attended by several local dignitaries, including Mayor Jackie Peterson of Hemet, who also captured memorable moments as a photographer, and Mayor Valerie Vandever of San Jacinto, who served as Master of Ceremonies. Hemet Councilman Tom Lodge was seen assisting with fish weigh-ins at the lakeside.

Judging duties were carried out by Captain James Burton of the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station and Captain Glen Brock of the Hemet Police Department, adding prestige and community pride to the competition.

Community Engagement and Activities

– The California Department of Fish and Wildlife provided 70 fishing rods and reels to young participants.
– Perris Valley Anglers Club and the Point Seekers Bass Club of Riverside each brought 11 members to assist the kids and offered expert guidance. The latter also had a bass boat display in front of the clubhouse.
– Boy Scout Troop 46 introduced over 150 children to BB gun safety and education through their dedicated tent — many shooting for the first time!
– A Drug-Free World booth handed out 239 educational booklets and shared real-life stories about the risks of substance use.

Food and Family Time

– Shamrock Foods kicked things off right after 7 a.m. check-in with breakfast snack bags for attendees.
– The Kiwanis Club of Hemet brought their grills and big smiles, cooking a delicious hamburger lunch for everyone after the fishing wrapped up.

Voices from the Community

 “We’ve been here every year, and my son has caught fish every time!”

“My grandson caught his first fish and hasn’t stopped talking about it!”

“We had a fantastic time. The food, the fishing — everything was perfect.”

“These events keep my grandkids away from gangs and drugs. They love it, and so do I.”

Special Thanks to the Gold Sponsors

This unforgettable event would not have been possible without the generous support of our Gold Sponsors. A heartfelt thank you to the Greater San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce, Soboba Foundation, Golden Era Productions, Shamrock Foods, SCOC Services, Steve and Dr. Kristie Dimemmo, Polly’s Pies, and Raising Cane’s. Your commitment to the children and families of this valley continues to make a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership and dedication to building a stronger community.

This day was made possible by the hardworking Fishing Tournament Committee, led by President Albert Kissinger and Vice President Michelle Meade, whose dedication, planning, and countless volunteer hours made this event a true success.

For more information contact the Greater San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce.
www.gsjvchamber.com

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The 2-day trout derby ultimately drew 491 anglers, which is even more impressive considering the fact the Big Trout Campout was up against the Eastern Sierra trout opener (April 27). Right out of the gates, every registered angler grabbed a giveaway bag containing PowerBait, Thomas Buoyant lures and Rooster Tails, then it was off to hit a heavily-stocked Hemet Lake for a shot at great sponsor prizes and cash. Like all WON family fishing events, catching the biggest or most fish was not the only way to get your hands on prizes at the Big Trout Campout. In fact, the biggest prize – an aluminum Marlon boat matched with a 9.9 hp Suzuki outboard – was among the raffles prize, and all registered anglers were automatically entered for that stuff. There were prizes awarded to the top 5 adults and juniors for the heaviest 2-day total weights, the overall big fish, and there were Blind Bogey cash payouts spread across both days.

Stephen Guerra stood as the overall winner with a 2-day total weight of 23.04 pounds, a bag anchored by an 8.53-pound rainbow caught on Day 1 which also stood as the overall Big Fish of the Big Trout Campout. He narrowly edged out second-place finisher Martin Diaz who weighed in 22.63 pounds of Lake Hemet trout. As for the spoils of victory. Guerra claimed the first place spoils and also the Sea Eagle FishSUP Deluxe inflatable fishing paddleboard that was earmarked for the overall big fish. Like most Campout anglers, Guerra did most of his damage on Day 1 (19.33 pounds) with only 3.71 pounds added to the total on Day 2 when fishing got tough. Those were the only two bags weighing over 20 pounds, but five tipped the scale at over 15 pounds and all the weights in the top 25 were in double digits.

Like Lake Havasu Striper Derby and other family-fishing tournaments put on by WON, Suzuki had a huge presence at the Lake Hemet Big Trout Campout. Along with providing the outboard for the grand raffle prize boat, Suzuki once again powered the Suzuki Spin-to-Win prize wheel with $2,000 cash to be distributed based on whatever amount the wheel landed on (Yes there is a $2,000 spot, and yes, someone has landed on it before). Anglers who get their number called via the raffle come up to spin until the Suzuki money is all gone, and it always seems to be the most raucous portion of the award ceremony, whatever the venue. The funny thing is, the Suzuki Spin to Win Wheel was originally supposed to be a one-event deal, but it was so well received it has become a regular thing, literally by popular demand.

The winner of that Marlon/Suzuki boat-and-motor Grand Prize was Martin Diaz Jr. who had it quite a bit better than any other boat raffle winner in a WON event. While everyone has an equal shot at winning and it’s completely unaffected by how well you fished in the event, Diaz happened to be the second-place winner. That is the highest finish for an angler that was also the Grand Prize winner in the history of WON’s family events.

When the dust settled on the Big Trout Campout, all involved with producing and running the tournament were confident that everyone had a good time, stoked that there were no logistical headaches and fired up about the 2025 installment of the event. If you don’t want to wait that long for a trout derby with a similar vibe, mark your calendars for the long-running WON Big Bear Troutfest slated for October 5-6. A boat and motor is always up for grabs there, the Suzuki Spin-to-Win cash wheel will be there, and a legendary fishery in a spectacular setting will be packed with trout and ready to host another great time on the water.

Keep an eye on the TOURNAMENTS tab at WONews.com for these and all other events produced by WON.

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