This year’s festival will take place from May 9 to 18, 2025.
Every May, Highland Park plays host to Rochester’s Lilac Festival, though the lilacs are not the only attractions to see. According to the festival website, Lilac Fest is the largest free festival of its kind in North America. Concerts begin in the early evening, leaving your days free to explore the Rochester area. While visiting our beautiful little city, here are a few of my favorite places to see around the Highland Park area.
Highland Park – you are here!
There is so much more to Highland Park than the festival area and the Lilac Collection! Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Highland is Rochester’s first park.
Explore all the pathways, flower and tree collections, memorials, and play spaces while you’re here! Favorites among locals include the walk-through tree and Poet’s Garden, both located near the Lamberton Conservatory, to the west of the reservoir.
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Places in the Immediate Area of the Lilac Festival
Lamberton Conservatory and Sunken Garden are part of Highland Park; Mount Hope Cemetery and Ellwanger Garden are right down the street, so that you can walk from the Lilac Festival. They make a perfect quick getaway from the crowds.
Ellwanger Garden Open House
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Outdoor Destinations Around Rochester
As much as I love the immediate Highland neighborhood, if you’re in town for a few days for all the free concerts, these are a few outdoor places in the city you can explore before the evening concerts begin.
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Exceptional Rochester Museums
The festival takes place in May. It’s not the warmest or driest month of the year in Rochester! Just in case you visit Rochester for the Lilac Festival on a rainy day, here are a few places to spend a few engaging hours riding the storm out.
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Food & Beverage
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Have a bit more time to see the Greater Rochester area?
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What do you look forward to most during the Rochester Lilac Festival?
I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
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People often ask if I get free access to the places I visit. The answer is no—unless I’m invited to a special preview or offered behind-the-scenes access through my media role. Most of the time, I don’t even mention Day Trips Around Rochester, New York when I visit a place. I want to have the same experience you would.
I create and share this content because it brings me joy—and I hope it adds value to your adventures, too.
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Thank you!
Debi
Enjoy the Journey Together!
