Spring Abloom

May 27, 2016

At the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival

What plant is native to the Balkan Peninsula, is the state flower of New Hampshire, was the subject of a famous painting by Edouard Manet… and is the honoree of a major festival right here in northern Michigan? None other than that bountiful, perfumed spring bloom of the north, the lilac. For 68 years, Mackinac Island has dedicated itself to celebrating the lilac blossom, and visitors the world over have flocked to the tiny island each June to see its full-blooming beauty.

FLOWER POWER

The festival’s appeal really is the flower itself, said Tim Hygh, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. “What’s neat about the lilacs is that they actually bloom a little later here than elsewhere because we’re farther north, and we’re on an island,” Hygh explained. “So people get to experience and enjoy the lilac blooms a second time. Plus we have so many different varieties here — over 200, in purple, pink, and white!”

Beyond just beautiful, many of the lilac trees on Mackinac Island have an impressive pedigree, having been imported from Vermont during the Civil War era. In keeping with the local link, one of the festival’s guests, University of Vermont “Hort Farm” lilac curator and nationallyrecognized lilac expert Jeff Young, will host walking tours of the lilacs throughout the festival.

COLORFUL FUN

Other specifically lilaccentric activities include a lilacplanting seminar sponsored by Proven Winners; a Purple Pig Roast at Mission Point Resort featuring lilac-inspired cocktails; the Lilac Festival art poster reception; and, of course, the crowning of the Lilac Queen at 5pm on June 4. New this year will be a special 15-foot erasable mural of iconic Mackinac Island scenes, including the Grand Hotel, horses, and fudge, which guests can color with washable markers.

“We’ll be erasing it daily so it can be refreshed with new-guest coloring contributions the next day,” Hygh said. Also fun for kids: The Farm Bureau Family Fun Area will be back for its second year at Windemere Point, a great open space featuring family activities and bounce houses.

CULINARY ISLAND

One of the most anticipated events of the Lilac Festival is the 28th annual A Taste of Mackinac, the splashy outdoor culinary event located on the lawn of the Harbour View Inn, which also happens to be where some of the oldest lilacs on the island grow. For a $20 ticket, you’ll get to enjoy this June 9 luncheon where over a dozen Mackinac Island restaurants and chefs show off diverse dishes that feature New American, Italian, Mexican, French, Irish, and Jamaican fare. Also featured at the Taste event: awardwinning Michigan wine and brews, plus live entertainment from local singer-songwriter Michelle Chenard and the Ardan Academy of Dance.

LILAC LEGACY

On June 12, the Lilac Festival Grand Parade will take place in the afternoon, led by the family of Don Andress, Carl Andress, and Jamie Andress, islanders and direct descendants of Chief Mackinac, as well as Don and Darold Keith, descendants of Chief Pontiac and Chief Okemos. Considered a Local Legacy Event by the United States Library of Congress, the parade is a must-see for any Lilac Festival fan. If much of this sounds familiar, that’s very much on purpose. “That’s the ‘Mackinac way,’” Hygh said. “Keeping things mostly the same every year is what people expect, so they can come back to this familiar place that they love. That’s what’s so unique about it.”

For more information on this year’s Mackinac Island Lilac Festival, running June 3–12, visit mackinacisland.org.