One of Rochester’s oldest and best-known events, the Lilac Festival is underway.
Organizers are trying to expand the kinds of activities they offer, with some new features this year.
That includes a Sensory Space, a tented area in a quieter part of the festival in Highland Park, featuring games and other activities that are more subdued, for individuals who find the crowds and the music and sights and smells of the main part of the festival too much for them to enjoy comfortably.
Sensory Space was developed with the help of AutismUp, and family navigator Mary Brzustowicz tells WXXI’s Inclusion Desk that the space can be useful for a wide variety of individuals, not only people who have autism.
She said when people come to that space, they “can move around and you'll find your space again, you have something to eat, you can move off to a quieter spot,” said Brzustowicz, “and then say, ‘ahh, now I'm gonna come back to that, that sensory tent,' so again, it's a lovely kind of quiet space around us.”
Brustowicz said Sensory Space provides a variety of games and toys, and other ways to experience the festival, as she demonstrated a small obstacle course:
Festival co-executive producer Jenny LoMaglio said that a sensory space is becoming more common at a number of festivals.
“The Lilac Festival prides itself on being free, being inclusive to everybody of every demographic and financial (or) economic background.,” said LoMaglio. “We have ASL interpreters for all of our headliners, and this was just sort of like closing the gap on something for people with that need.”
Another new feature at the Lilac Festival this year is a Small Business Circle, featuring a group of owners of small businesses, many of them local to the Rochester area.
One of the exhibitors in that area of the park is Fashion Fusion by RK, which features handmade shoes from India, along with clutch-type purses and jewelry.
Kirnprett Singh is co-founder of the recently established business and so far, she’s pleased with the reaction of potential shoppers.
“We’ve been getting a lot of interest,” said Singh. “It’s something different (that) people haven’t seen, especially because it’s handmade, so we’re getting a lot of interest in it.”
Singh also likes “the vibe” at the Lilac Festival, especially in the Small Business Circle, and like the idea of supporting small, local businesses.
The Lilac Festival, which runs through next Sunday, May 19, on average attracts more than 500,000 visitors during its 10-day run.
This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
