It was a bit belated, but the lilacs are finally in bloom at Highland Park. I’ve made a couple more trips to the park to take photos, not only of the lilacs, but of the festival since there were a couple of requests to know a bit more about the Lilac Festival itself. First, this week’s SNAP collection—thanks again to Helena for hosting this meme of three or four related photos every week.
This years festival was the 118th Lilac Festival. It’s held every year at Highland Park designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and planted with over 1200 lilacs representing over 500 different varieties. It’s grown over the last 40 years that I’ve lived here, and there are more and more special events, activity booths, food tents and trucks, as well as the children’s ride area. The first weekend of the festival is the parade. This past weekend was the 5K and 10K runs. There’s live music nearly all day, every day, and into the evening. Tracy’s brother played the first night of the festival. He came in from Austin, TX and played with two other musicians from his very popular band of the 1970’s and 1980’s.
The pansy bed is always an attraction. Every year it’s planted in a different design.
Most of the tents and activities take place in the park across the street from the lilac bushes, the magnolias, and other flowering plants and trees.
Cornell Cooperative Extension always has a plant sale. This year there were lilacs (of course), hydrangeas, peonies, a variety of succulents and other perennial plants.
This is the area where the activity and informational booths are set up. Just up this path a ways was the Artful Fairy booth where Skylar made her fairy garden.
Thursday morning when we walked over, one of the high school bands was setting up to play. Professional bands that draw big crowds are scheduled for the weekend evening slots.
The one area I didn’t get to this year was the craft fair which is set up on the two weekends. The first weekend we were busy with the parade and the fairy garden, and last weekend was cold and rainy so we decided to pass.
I’ll leave you with a few photographs of the flowering trees and lilacs.
beautiful – wish I could smell them all too – sounds a fabulous festival
Wow, they certainly know how to put on a good show. There is so much to see
Almost a scented SNAP collection. The red lilac is gorgeous & your photo close up fantastic. I can hardly wait for the lilacs here to start blooming.
What a marvellous event to have on your doorstep!
Wow, what a brilliant event. I didn’t realise that there are so many different varieties of lilac, each wonderful in its own way.
Now that is a fabulous Ode to Spring Karen!
Lovely SNAP (I can smell them for here)
Thank You~
beautiful photos of the lilacs and flowering trees…..my lilac hasn’t even started yet!
Thanks for going to the trouble of explaining all this. Sounds like a lovely community occasion. I’m enjoying seeing all the lilacs around here at the moment. A colleague’s son is waiting for a baby, who, if a girl, is apparently going to be called Lilac.
Yes thank you for the explanation. I had no idea there were that many different lilacs. Your pictures are stunning.
I bet the smells were just as delightful as the flowers and as enticing as the events. What a great local treasure and the photos you shared are glorious. Wish I could’ve experienced “live and in person.”
Cheers~
What a fabulous post Karen. I wish we had the ability to post perfumes! The lilacs are incredibly beautiful. I had no idea there were so many varieties! Your photographs are wonderful x
You got some gorgeous photos from the Fest! I really would love to have a lilac bush. They were one of my Mom’s favorite flowers growing up and I remember she would always bring cuttings into the house in the spring. They smelled wonderful!
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