home sweet home: May in Rochester

As an avid flower lover, I cannot get enough of the spring blooms:  dogwood, magnolia, cherry blossom, tulips, daffodils, ranunculus.  But if I had to pick a favorite (for color, fragrance, and overall good looks), I'd have to rate the lilac as my number one.  I may be partial to the flower because I had a bush in my backyard growing up, but I just can't get enough.  When it comes to spring, lilacs rule supreme.  Ironically (or not) one of the best places to surround yourself with lilacs, is in my hometown of Rochester, NY.  The lilac is so prevalent, that we even have a 2 week long festival to honor the bloom.  If you're in the area at the end of May, you can't miss this summer kickoff party.

A Summer Saturday in Rochester, NY

Start your day with sweets from Misfit Doughnuts and then head over to the Lilac Festival in Highland Park.  Like a handful of parks in the Rochester area, Highland Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (of the Central Park in NY, Biltmore Estates in NC, World's Exposition in Chicago fame).  There are over 1200 different lilac bushes and hundreds of other visually pleasing trees, including magnolia & Japanese Maple.  On a normal summer Saturday, you'd spend your time walking the gardens, playing catch in the grass, or reading a book sprawled out on a picnic blanket, but today, the park is loaded up with local Rochestarians ready to play.  The festival is loaded with festival food stalls, carnival rides for the kids, a stage playing live music, and a food truck trailer park for enjoying lunch and a few cocktails.  I love deep fried spiraled potatoes on a stick just as much as the next girl, but we're here for the star of the show, the lilacs.  Follow the path (and your nose!) to see some of the most beautifully, haphazard shaped, bushes of your life.

As you're wandering through the park, literally stopping to smell the roses, you'll spot another treasure of Highland Park, The Lamberton Conservatory.  Anyone that knows me, know that's I'm obsessed with a good conservatory (see my favorite from Chicago here!).  The Lamberton Conservatory has everything to make your greenhouse dreams come true.

Head back through the lilac bushes and observe the other spring blooms that make the park so beautiful.  Other enjoyable areas of the park include Warner Castle, the Sunken Garden, a pansy "carpet", an iris garden, a rock garden with dwarf evergreens, the rose beds, and even a 13th century herb garden.  After all that walking, you're finally ready for your carnival food and a picnic in front of the main stage.  I suggest Zweigles hot dogs and a giant lemonade.  Relax, enjoy the music, and let the beginning of summer soak into your soul.

When you can't take any more funnel cake, it's time to end the evening at one of the 30+ breweries in the Rochester area.  We have a few favorites, but Fifth Frame checks all the boxes.  I like the neon lights and the picture ledge menu.  Matt likes the juicy pale ales.  

Thanks to Covid-19, the Lilac Festival is canceled this year, but I'm already planning my 2021 summer Saturday when the world finally gets back to normal someday (soon!?).

Stay safe out there!  

Erin