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This year's Lilac Festival adds tours, zero-proof drinks, and a farmers market

Lilacs in full bloom.
Beth Adams/WXXI News
Highland Park is home to the most extensive collections of lilacs in the Northeast U.S.

As Rochesterians shiver through a brutal cold snap, it might help to know that the Lilac Festival is just 107 days away. And this year brings new additions to the city's oldest festival, including a farmers market and guided tours through Highland Park. 

There will also be an alcohol-free bar serving zero-proof spirits and mocktails in a space located right alongside the beer and wine vendors. The festival's executive producer, Jenny LoMaglio, said it's about equal opportunities for people who want that choice, and it's in line with the event's mission of inclusivity.

"If somebody in their group is drinking a wine slushie or grabbing a beer, the other person doesn't have to trek across the park to some sort of obscure area and to find what they need to drink." 

LoMaglio believes this will be the first local event of its kind to offer a fully non-alcoholic bar experience.

"We have, you know, vegan options and gluten free options and vegetarian options. But now we're sort of bleeding over into the beverage world as well," she said. 

The 2025 Lilac Festival opens on May 9 and runs through the May 18. 

The Lilac Local Farmers Market will run for two days, May 12 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the festival grounds behind the Children's Wooden Playground. Local business owners selling fresh food and artisanal products who are interested in participating can email info@roclilacfest.com.

Festivalgoers who want to immerse themselves in the history of Highland Park or learn more about the most extensive array of lilacs in the Northeast, can join two free walking tours: Flower City Flora Tour and Highland Park Historical Tour. Each will offer a self-guided or volunteer-guided experience as visitors explore the Highland Park Conservatory, Children's Pavilion, and the sunken garden, among other highlights of the Olmstead-designed city park.

 There will also be more than 120 live musical performances and over 300 juried arts and craft vendors.

 

 

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.