Lilac Festivals

When is the Lilac Festival Sites and Dates

The month of May brings bright, sunny days, and warm spring breezes. All kinds of flowers are bursting into full, fragrant bloom everywhere you look (and sniff). This includes our beloved lilacs. And perhaps best of all, there are many fun filled Lilac festivals all over the United States and Canada. The biggest by far is the Rochester Lilac Festival. But, many others are held around the United States. You can find a few festivals in other countries, too. These festivals are among the first outdoor festivals of the year. They herald the beginning of the spring, and a new outdoor gardening season.

With the arrival of the lilacs and pleasant weather, these festivals experience huge crowds. The timing of the festivals is always problematic. Festival organizers strive to set the date s when the lilacs are in bloom. The weather doesn’t always cooperate. Cooler springs delay the blooming period. Hotter than normal weather can bring the blossoms out earlier than anticipated, and for a shorter period of time. If you travel to a festival, find out when it is being held, and go during the middle of the event. Try to find out how the lilacs are doing- is an early, on-time or late bloom expected?

The Rochester, N.Y. lilac festival is the biggest and best of them all. It has one of the largest displays of lilacs, boasting 500 varieties and 1,200 bushes over 22 acres in Highland Park. The annual Lilac Festival lasts for two weeks and includes a wide range of events, exhibits, Lilac10K races, craft displays, bands and concerts, and much more. The American Bus Association lists it among its “Top 100 Events”, as bus tours from all over the U.S. and Canada bring tourists there.

Upcoming Lilac Festivals

Enjoy the beautiful lilacs while they are in bloom! Here are links to lilac festival locations and information. We continue to update this information, as it becomes available.

Tip: Festival goers to the larger events, come from all over the country. They often come in busloads. Make arrangements for your overnight stay well in advance. The popularity of these festivals causes area hotels to fill up quickly.

Lilac Festivals in the U.S. and Canada

Rochester Lilac Festival

Rochester, N.Y. Lilac Festival is the granddaddy of all lilac events. People from Canada and around the world come to this annual Spring event to view the lilacs, to take in the sweet scent, and to partake in the events and activities. It is held at Highland Park, in Rochester, NY. They proudly display the largest collection of both varieties and total bushes in the world. In addition to the lilacs, there are pansies, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and many spring flowering bushes and trees. On the fairgrounds, there are many activities including a parade, 5K and 10k races, and live concerts.

You will not go hungry at this event. Food vendors offer a huge array of choices. There’s wine and cheese tasting. and a craft beer garden, too. Arts and craft booths offer an incredible array of items. The arts and craft booths sell lilac perfume, sachets, and even lilac edibles….yes, lilacs are edible.

This year’s festival runs May 9-18, 2025. Make plans to be there today!

Other U.S. and Canada Lilac Festivals

Lilacs are among the most popular flowers. In addition to the Rochester Lilac Festival, many localities offer a Spring festival centered around this aromatic flowering bush. Here are others we found:

Pine Mountain, Ca. Lilac Festival – This event is scheduled May 17, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Lilac Park, Lombard, IL – May 3 – 18, 2025. Known as “Lilac Village”, the park has been in existence since the 1920s. It boasts over 700 cultivars. Features include a parade, Lilac Ball, tours, and many more events.

Barryton, MI. Lilac Festival – It is held annually on the first weekend in June. This small-town event is family-friendly.

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival – It is held on Mackinac Island, MI – Held June 6-15, 2025. This is the first event of the summer season on the island.

Taos, New Mexico Lilac Festival – This event was canceled in 2023. It appears to be permanently canceled.

Spokane, Washington Lilac Festival Gala – May 10-17, 2025. This event is held annually since 1938.

4th Street Lilac Festival -Calgary, B.C., Canada – June 1, 2025.

International Festivals

Sapporo Japan Lilac Festival – Mid to Late May 2025, Specific dates TBD.

Goulburn, Australia – October every year. Note: They are in the southern hemisphere where it is Spring in October.

Lilac Festival Note:

Selecting event dates when the Lilacs are in full bloom is tricky. Some years spring comes early. In other years, Spring arrives late. As a result, some festival organizers are often quite late each year in announcing the dates. They attempt to time their festival to occur when the lilacs are in bloom. This is not an easy thing to do. Larger festivals, like the Rochester, NY Lilac Festival, have such an extensive list of activities and events, that they need to set the dates well in advance. We will do our best to update this page, as information becomes available.

How To Grow Lilac Information

How to Grow – Learn how to grow beautiful, fragrant plants.
Lilac Sunday – Without a doubt, it’s a holiday worth celebrating.
Flowers – About these beautiful blooms.
Pictures – See our lilac photo gallery.
Lilac Trivia – Cute and informant trivia.
Planting and Transplanting – how and when to move bushes.
Propagation – How to make new plants.
Pruning – Most importantly, there’s a right way and a wrong way.
Pests and Disease – Prevent plant problems.
Varieties – In fact, there are over 1000 varieties.
California Lilac – It’s a tree.
Why no Blooms? – Identify and correct blooming problems.
Lilac Poem – By Walt Whitman.
Buy Lilac Bushes – Select from a wide variety of these popular bushes.