Lilac in the foreground, with people walking in the background

Spring Is Sprung: Visiting the Warkworth Lilac Festival

Jump to Video

There’s a moment every year when you walk out the door and realize, “spring is really here!” Temperatures climb upward, buds appear on the trees, and birdsong suddenly seems louder. Nothing drives the feeling home quite like spring flowers, though—and the avid gardeners at the Warkworth Lilac Festival have found a way to turn that sensation in a weeks-long celebration along the Millennium Lilac Trail.

“The last weekend in May, that’s our celebration weekend,” says Janice Allen, the festival’s co-chair and one of its founding organizers. “But lots of people walk the trail and enjoy the lilacs, probably from the second week of May on until about the first or second week in June.”

The Millennium Trail at the southern end of Warkworth’s Main Street runs 2.6km return, with over eighty varieties of lilac growing along its length. Even without organized events, the trail is a tranquil, harmonious experience along the banks of Burnley Creek. Interpretative signage is available for horticulturalists to pore over, but no prior knowledge is required to enjoy the burst of colour and delicate fragrance that permeates the trail.

Left/Top: Janice Allen, Festival Co-Chair. Right/Bottom: Trail Entrance 

“We have music, we have kids events, we have food,” Janice says, referring to the festivities on the last weekend in May. “We’ve started box lunches this year, where you buy a box lunch and sit along the trail and enjoy. We have hotdogs, Jordan’s Pizza, and vendors that are selling horticulture products.”

If a garden-themed event doesn’t immediately entice younger kids, the festival has a way to sweeten the deal. A scavenger hunt along the trail encourages children to find all the informational signs, and their completed fact sheet can be redeemed at the Village Pantry for a free ice cream cone. On top of the hunt, kid-friendly attractions include a lemonade and cookie stand, and a rock-painting exercise along the trail organized by the Warkworth Public Library.

For the grownups, there’s live music to be enjoyed along the Trail. In 2023, the lineup includes a jazz trio, brass quintet, and harpist. Local artisans will have vendor booths, and there are also plenty of opportunities to chat and share knowledge with horticultural groups, or to bring a floral arrangement home.

Warkworth is exceptionally active for a small town, but Janice says the festival emerged when organizers noticed a gap in the seasonal offerings. “We had the maple syrup festival in March, and the rodeo in July, the fair in September, but we didn’t have anything in late spring,” she notes.

The festival has grown since, with past years seeing new varieties of lilac added to the trail. Last year introduced the Avalanche double-white lilac, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 70th Platinum Jubilee. The year the focus is on blue and yellow lilacs, in honour of the strength, courage, and resilience of the Ukrainian people.

It’s a gardener’s paradise, but you don’t need a background in botany to appreciate the diversity and beauty of the Lilac Festival. Deep down, Janice says the appeal of lilacs is practically universal. “You know what? They signal spring. It’s really one of those symbols that say, oh my gosh, it’s spring! They’re one of the first flowers to come out, and they’re just so pretty and they smell so nice… simple as that.”


Visit the Warkworth Lilac Festival Website at warkworthlilacfestival.ca

Share this post

Read More

A skier in a yellow jacket heads down a corridor of trees
Outdoor Recreation

Top 6 Winter Activities in Kawarthas Northumberland

Here in Kawarthas Northumberland, the outdoor season doesn’t stop when the cold weather hits. The region abounds with exciting ways to make the most of winter, and so we’ve compiled a few of our greatest hits into one place. If you see something that sparks your interest, just check the forecast, bundle up, and head

Read More »
A person looks out over a frozen creek
Day Trips

Six Winter Hiking Trails to Try in Kawarthas Northumberland

Many of the trails in this region are a pleasure in any season, so winter hiking doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. Instead, you’ll find many of our local favourites transformed by a fresh blanket of snow, bracing air, and a quiet and calming atmosphere that’s unique to the season. We’ve selected the areas below for

Read More »
A snowy owl perched on a branch, wings spread
Uncategorized

Winter Birding with Drew Monkman

In deep winter, unless you’re an avid skier or snowshoer, it can feel a bit like the outdoor season is on pause. According to naturalist and avid birder Drew Monkman, nothing could be further from the truth. “You can typically find 70 or so species of birds here from December through March,” he says. “Winter

Read More »