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Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY

Flowers, Food, and Fun for the Whole Family

May 26, 2009 Kay Bosworth

Visitors to the Lilac Festival, held annually each May in Rochester, NY, can see a rainbow of colorful lilac bushes and breathe in the exotic, unique scent.

The 10-day festival also offers entertainment for the whole family, arts and crafts on weekends, and plenty of food.

Over 1,200 Lilac Bushes, 500 Varieties

More than 500 varieties of lilacs line the walkways on 22 acres of the 155-acre Highland Park. Over 1,200 lilac bushes bloom, ranging in color from snow white, ivory, pale yellow, lilac-colored, pink, and blue to deepest purple.

121-Year-Old Festival Blooms

The history of Rochester's celebration of lilacs began in 1888 when two nurserymen donated 20 acres of land to the city. Later, park designer Fredrick Law Olmstead, who also designed New York City's Central Park, completed the development of Highland Park. A hybrid lilac bush of white flowers is named for him.

Horticulturist John Dunbar started the lilac collection in 1892. The lilac festival began informally in 1898 when 3,000 people turned out one Sunday in May to enjoy the blooming lilacs. The official festival began in 1908. Now the festival attracts more than half a million visitors from all over the world.

Festival Has Something for Everyone

Over the years, the festival has expanded to include daily musical entertainment from big names and local performers playing blues, rock, jazz, heavy metal, salsa, zydeco, hip hop, and more. Special programs for children feature face painting, pony rides, and sing-a-longs, and children from local schools perform.

Food, from international temptations to local specialties, is available in a tented food court as well as from numerous booths lining the walkways. Vendors offer such treats as kettle corn, pizza and pasta, ice cream and frozen custard, crepes, funnel cake, fried dough, smoothies, burgers and hot dogs, and much more.

A parade opens the festival, complete with floats, marching bands, a Lilac Queen, and plenty of purple.

Artists Exhibit on Weekends

On weekends, more than 200 artisans exhibit and sell their wares, offering pottery, wooden art, metal sculpture, paintings, clothing, jewelry, ceramics, and more in booths at the edge of the park. The festival has its own Highland Lilac perfume for sale. Gardeners inspired by the wealth of flowers can find plant sales manned by people willing to offer gardening help and advice.

The Lilac Festival also displays other flowers and plants throughout the park. Hundreds of bright little faces shine up from the pansy bed on Highland Avenue. The Lamberton Conservatory on Reservoir Avenue recently reopened its main glass structure, rebuilt for safety reasons, and shows off new plants featuring hydrangeas, bromeliads, and a wide variety of palms and cacti.

The copyright of the article Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY in NE U.S. Travel is owned by Kay Bosworth. Permission to republish Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.