ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The 128th Lilac Festival is set to bloom at Highland Park in just 71 days, and this year it carries an extra dose of excitement.
The festival is nominated for USA Today’s best flower festival, a recognition that has the community buzzing.
READ MORE: VOTE NOW: Lilac Festival in the running for ‘Best Flower Festival in the USA’ – WHEC.com
News10NBC’s Adelisa Badzic delves into the festival’s rich history. Christine Ridarsky, the historian for the City of Rochester and Monroe County, shared how the festival began.
“This ten-day festival started almost by accident,” Ridarsky said. “A group gathered in Highland Park on a Sunday back in the early 20th century. And around 1905, they formalized it as Lilac Sunday.”
From there, it expanded into the ten-day celebration we know today. Ridarsky emphasized the festival’s significance to Rochester.
“I think the Lilac Festival is the activity that most defines Rochester and has the longest standing connections to Rochester’s history,” she said.
“Rochester’s collection of lilacs is very unique. It was carefully curated over a number of years, beginning around 1890. We have a Rochester Lilac that was created here and named for this city.”
Jenny LoMaglio, executive producer of the Rochester Lilac Festival, expressed the honor of being nominated. “We are Rochester, which is maybe a smaller city to some, but we are up against some major festivals,” LoMaglio said.
“This, Rochester Lilac Festival is right in there with the big ones. We are so excited to be able to represent our town, our community.”
Many know Rochester was originally the Flour City, but according to the historian – in the mid 19th century the industry began to change, and Rochester became known for its nursery business and horticultural involvement. And later changed into the Flower City.
You can vote once every day on USA Today’s website here.
Rochester Lilac Festival’s historic bloom competes on USA Today’s stage WHEC.com.
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