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
Oh, you guys! I actually never knew there was a debate; everyone I know has always said "lie-lock", and I am solidly in that camp. I did, however, get a real education on the town "Chili" from your blog.
ReplyDeleteI interchange between "LIE-lack" and "LIE-lock" depending on the sentence. e.g. "I went to the LIE-lock Festival. I bought a LIE-lack bush."
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