The Lilac Festival in Warkworth is caught in-between on Eastern Ontario’s Spring Festival Scene. A weekend before the Lilac Festival there is the Warkworth Art in the Park Show and the Cobourg Music Experience. During the Lilac Festival there is the Colborne Apple Blossom Festival and Doors Open Northumberland . And the June 14-17th weekend after the Lilac Festival closes there is a torrent of activity including the Cobourg Highland Games, Bowmanvilles Historic Grand Prix Celebration and the Brockville Tall Ships First Stop – all worthy of your time and attention.
But Mother Nature provides a limited Lilac Window and this year it has been a bit precarious:
Lilac after the April 22-23 Ice Blizzard …………………………………….. Lilac on May 24th just before the Festival
Just 4 weeks before all the countryside in the Northumberland Hills was coated in ice – almost a quarter of inch thick. The ice glazing lasted for a day in our area – giving the lilac buds a freeze coating For reasons probably only known to dedicated lilac horticulturalists, despite the deep freeze the lilac blossoms appear richer in blooms and color this year and maybe enduring a day or two longer. So the Lilac Festival has reason for celebration.
Full bloom, full fragrance lilacs to be seen at the festival
Meanwhile the kids had fun playing ball hockey in a nifty tournament full of Stanley Cup inspired play:
The girls played just as rough and tumble as the guys
And in town the kids got face painted up or
waited for the popcorn to pop..
While Main Street in town had gardening tips and horticulture goods for sale while artists painted and performed.
Warkworth artist Ron Windebank creating his lilac inspired Outdoor Art
And painters and musicians were also performing throughout the day:
A flute harp piece floated gently on the walkway.
In short, Mother Nature provided some lilac treasures equal to the sunny and fresh May weekend day.