ROCHESTER, N.Y. – On Friday, thousands will gather at Highland Park for some live music, food, rides, and of course, to see the lilacs, at this year’s Lilac Festival.
John Dunbar, provided by the Rochester Public Library Local History & Genealogy DivisionFor 127 years, the Lilac Festival has welcomed people to come enjoy the lilacs and celebrate springtime, but it wasn’t always a 10-day-long festival.
According to the Superintendent of Horticulture for Monroe County Parks Mark Quinn, John Dunbar, who was a Horticulturist, was one of the first people to plant lilacs at Highland Park around 1892.
“The park was a collection of all sorts of horticultural collections, but the lilacs became very popular,” said Quinn.
Quinn said around 1898, thousands of people started showing up to the park, which is a Frederick Law Olmsted Park, to see the lilacs.
As time went on, Quinn says it became a more organized event. Eventually, it officially became “Lilac Sunday,” a specific day for people to see the lilacs in bloom. He even recalls going himself alongside his family.
“That was just part of being a Rochesterian,” said Quinn.
It eventually expanded to “Lilac Time,” and “Lilac Week.” In 1978, it fully expanded to the 10-day-long festival, where they started planning it a year in advance, Quinn says.
Provided by the City of RochesterJenny LoMaglio, who is an executive producer of the festival today, says they are lucky this festival has been going on for so long, as people already know about it in different ways.
“Some generations know it as somewhere they used to go when they were much younger, some generations know it as a safe place to bring their families and kids, and some generations know it as a place for live, free, amazing music,” said LoMaglio.
LoMaglio says although the flowers will always be the star of the festival, it is not just about the flowers today.
“Being that it’s a free event is a big draw for many people,” said LoMaglio.
According to Quinn, this festival started out somewhat “organically,” as he says it sort of evolved into a festival as the lilacs became more popular.
“I don’t think these guys were doing this to make a festival,” said Quinn. “They were doing this to make a beautiful arboretum, and they made a beautiful arboretum, and people show up.”
LoMaglio says they still like to honor things that always stay the same, such as the grounds of the park that she says Monroe County Parks does a great job at maintaining.
“Having this as a free event, people can just come in and enjoy all of the things that the park and the festival has to offer,” said LoMaglio.
She also says they like taking feedback from people to see how they can add more to the festival or make it more accessible and inclusive.
New this year, they will have free guided walking tours — one on the history of the park and one on the flowers. LoMaglio also says some of the tours will include ASL interpreters, along with all the headlining shows. She says it’s a priority for her to make the festival accessible for everyone.
“Things to keep it changing are ways that we are growing as a country,” said LoMaglio. “So to be more inclusive is something that’s really important to me as an executive producer.”
Quinn says he thinks that as it transitioned into a festival, they tried to accommodate more to the people attending.
Introduced last year was a sensory tent, sponsored by AustismUp, which is a place for people who might need to take a break to use at no cost, LoMaglio says. New this year, they will also have a non-alcoholic bar called “Zero Proof Social Club,” and special Mother’s Day packages.
“So its not necessarily about bringing in a crowd to make money because we’re a free event, but it’s to make it a place where people can go year after year and feel that any changes that we make is for them,” said LoMaglio.
This year’s festival runs from May 9 until May 18. See a full guide to this year’s festival here.
See News10NBC’s coverage of the festival from 2005 here:
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