The 14th Warkworth Lilac Festival returns this weekend along Millenium Lilac Trail.
The two-day volunteer-powered festival – running Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days – is a picturesque, long-time tradition that often attracts large numbers to the region, notes Janice Allen, festival co-chair.
“The weather looks promising, the lilacs are blooming, and we have lots of activities going on,” Allen tells MBC.
The festival has become a must-see tourist attraction for flowing-loving visitors from all over Ontario over the years, but it in addition to the natural beauty and extensive variety of lilacs attendees will be able to take in, there’s quite the lineup planned again this year.
Allen tells us more.
The “Touch of Lilac” competition has also grown substantially over the years, adds Allen.
It’s shaping out to be two full days of outdoor family fun with the artisans, vendors, live music, treats and activities for all ages, as well as gardener and lilac enthusiasts, adding to the festivities.
And the festival is also a chance to take in some rarer and unique varieties – all of which have been strategically planted in beds along the trail to create a type of showcase in a way.
Of course, even getting to just enjoy the fragrance of the lilacs is part of the draw, notes Allen.
Allen tells us more about some of the types of lilacs you can expect to find this weekend.
There’s buttercup yellow, too.
Meanwhile, back in 2022, the festival also introduced the “avalanche double-white lilac,” created in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s 70th Platinum Jubilee. In 2017, the festival was also honoured with a Canada 150 Garden Experience Award.
