Lilacs Ahoy!

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, this blog is called Lilacs and Snowflakes. I chose that title based on two of the most common (though not always the most pleasant) features in the Finger Lakes region that I felt translated across cities, towns, and county borders. Thankfully, we seem to be done with snow for the time being (I hesitate to even commit that to print since just last weekend a few flakes were spotted to fall voernight) - just in time for the 2010 annual Lilac Festival!

The Lilac Festival is a ten-day event that takes place in the beginning of May. Located in Highland Park, the Lilac Festival is a sort of official herald of springtime in Monroe County. Highland Park is not only home to countless varieties of lilac bushes, but quite literally hundreds of other specimins of flora and fauna. I don't know about you, but to me there are few better ways to celebrate the reawakening of Nature than to take in its resplendant beauty.

"So there are a bunch of flowers? What's so special about that?" Well, you would-be pavers of paradise, there is a lot more to the Lilac Festival than just enjoying the lovely flowers: Enjoy parades? The event is opened by one featuring many local high schools, floats, and the crowning of the Lilac Fesitval Queen. Live music more your sort of thing? Take in the plethora national recording artists performing in one of the many outdoor arenas (this year's offerings include such artists as Sister Hazel, Vonda Shepard, Donna the Buffalo, and 10,000 Maniacs - sans Natalie Merchant). Want to support local business? There are rows upon rows of tents set up by local vendors peddling their wares - as well as local radio stations and local non-profits reaching out to the community. Worried about keeping the kiddies quiet? There are also performers with child-friendly entertainment. Feeling athletic? You can join the Lilac 10k, which will this year be joined by marathon runner Dick Bearsley. Oh, and did I mention all this is free?

In my post about Leaf & Bean, a coffee shop in Chili, I touched briefly on the unusual pronunciation of certain things here in the Finger Lakes. I feel obligated to include a local news segment featuring a fierce ongoing somewhat casual debate on the correct pronunciation of "lilac."



It has not been until developing my newly discovered love of my hometown that I have come to appreciate just how much national attention the Lilac Festival brings. In 2007, for example, Martha Stewart came to take in the gardens. While I myself was making my annual pilgrimage to Highland Park, I overheard a few people in the crosswalk discussing that they had come from out of town - one from another state (I can't remember where) and the other from England. It was even listed by the American Bus Association (no, I didn't make that up) amongst its Top 100 Destinations. I have heard say that this festival alone brings in a substantial amount of tourism, and looking at the variety of pleasures to pursue, it's not hard to see why.

Today was the opening day, but it will be running through May 23rd. If you find yourself in the Finger Lakes region in the beginning of May, come to Highland Park to stop and smell the lilacs.