MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - Mackinac Island’s signature showy summer event is back at full force this season. The 74th annual Lilac Festival will run from June 3-12 and will feature a huge list of events and activities, including the return of its Grand Parade.
It seems like the perfect year to shine a spotlight on the island’s lush lilacs, which boast about 250 varieties among them and are some of the oldest and largest in the country. Is it a coincidence that 2022 has been labeled the “Year of the Lilac,” according to the National Garden Bureau? We think not. This year’s festival will include not only historic walking tours, but lilac planting, lilac painting, a 10K run and island-wide outdoor activities.
The 2022 festival theme is “Flower Power: Peace, Love, Lilacs.”
“The blooming of the lilacs has been a signal that the summer season has officially begun on Mackinac Island for more than 150 years and the Lilac Festival is a celebration we always look forward to hosting,” said Tim Hygh, Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau’s executive director. “After a few years of modified festivals, we’re truly elated to bring the 74th Lilac Festival back in a big way with the return of the Grand Parade and other interactive activities. From Jeff Young’s historic walking tours to lilac painting and planting sessions, the Lilac Festival is a quintessential representation of the deep history and culture of the island.”
Events Schedule
The 10-day Lilac Festival is packed with things to do and see. You can peruse the events schedule here. Water lovers can get out onto the Straits of Mackinac on Sip N’ Sail boat cruises. Art lovers will find free admission to the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, or explore the British Landing Nature Center.
Here is a rundown of some of the festival’s biggest events:
- Friday, June 3: Coronation of the Lilac Festival Queen
- Friday, June 3: Unveiling of the Lilac Festival Poster
- Saturday, June 4: Lilac Festival 10K Run & Walk
- Saturday, June 4: Dancing on Market Street with West Michigan Bootscooters
- Saturday, June 11: Michigan Cornhole Tournament
- Sunday, June 12: Mackinac Island Lilac Festival Parade
Historic Blooms
What makes Mackinac’s profusion of lilacs so special? It might seem unusual that a small island sitting at the edge of the Straits has some of the oldest and largest lilac stems found anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. But like a lot of other things now on the island, the sweet-smelling bushes came over with settlers. The lilacs took a liking to the high pH level of Mackinac soil, made acidic from the crumbling limestone underneath, according to the tourism bureau’s brief history of the island’s lilacs.
The first bushes likely came over from New Hampshire about 200 years ago with the Hubbard family, who had a farm on island’s west side. European families who settled in New England had been bringing lilacs with them and planting them on their farmsteads for good luck. The Hubbard family followed suit when they came to the island.
“Some of the lilac stems near that farm, which later was developed into cottages in an area known as Hubbard’s Annex, are about 100 years old and are offspring of older stems that were also about 100 years old. So, it has been about 200 years since lilacs were brought to Mackinac,” the tourism bureau said.
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