Highland Park (where the festival is located) was Rochester's first city park and was established in 1888. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City (a fun fact!). The park covers 155 acres and features over 2,000 lilac shubs-- in over 500 varieties!
The Lilac Festival draws thousands of people every year... this is a shot of the main stage, where they host weekend concerts.
There were fabulous vendors...
And even horse and buggy rides through the park...
And they brag, even Martha is a fan of the lilacs...
Thankfully, many of the lilacs survived the recent chills that went through Upstate NY this month (others did not)...
My mother-in-law has an amazing lilac bush at her house (that we are all very proud of, by the way)-- it's a triple bloom lilac that creates the most amazing blossoms... But, this guy must have been at least a quadruple bloom? These blossoms were giant.
On a side note, there is the most fabulous Vietnam War Memorial Park within Highland Park. It individually honors each local solider who died there-- it is such a peaceful place, and very impactful. I highly recommend walking through if you are ever in the area.
The next day, we did some flea market shopping (we bought the greatest set of outdoor dining chairs! I will share the pictures later)... and before we left, we had lunch by the lake. This was our view...
My husband is from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY, and every time we go here, I want to buy a lake cottage (I always think of Thom Filicia -- another cute Upstate NY boy -- and his fabulous lake house!). Wouldn't a lake house make for a wonderful life? I can dream.
Happy Monday!
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Skaneateles is my most favorite place in the world. You've made me very homesick! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful weekend! And yes, I do think a cabin on the lake would be quite wonderful. I insist on 'picking' out our future lakeside cabin whenever we're away at a lake. I also have a few ocean cottages 'picked' out...and decorated of course.
ReplyDeleteX Trina
That last picture looks like seneca lake in geneva....where I grew up!
ReplyDeleteREally nice pictures of the lilacs! Mine, in the Hudson Valley, are long gone already; in fact, I just dead-headed them today.
ReplyDeleteA lake house always sounds wonderful...but only in the summer! The winters up there are just not my thing!
very beautiful pictures, the tulips remind me of Holland in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteI used to go to the Lilac Festival as a child and your photos made me remember climbing the Lilac trees and running up and down the groves!
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