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Lilac Time in Lombard

Lilac Time in Lombard[1] happens throughout the month of May [2]. It begins the first Saturday in May and ends on the third Sunday. Lilac time is a 16 day celebration in the town of Lombard, Illinois. Since 1930,[3] lilac time has been held in Lombard with festivities ranging for children and adults of all ages. It begins with the lilac queen coronation and ends with the annual lilac parade. Historically, the town of Lombard is famous for its lilacs. Lilacia Park was given to the town of Lombard by Colonel William R. Plum in 1927, since then Lombard has been known as the lilac capital of the world. The park is home to more than 200 varieties of lilacs and 75,000 tulips along with other flower varieties and picnic spaces.[4] The town decided to dedicate a month to the flowers that make the town so famous. Therefore, the idea of lilac time in Lombard came about. Lilac Time is a celebration in Lombard. Even the local Dairy Queen gets into the lilac mood. They dip their ice cream in a lilac colored, grape flavored; toping for a lilac ice cream treat. Lilac Time has been a tradition for about 80 years.

Lilac Queen Coronation

The celebration begins with the coronation of the lilac queen. There is one queen and four lilac princesses which make up the court. The process to become a lilac princess contains interviews, meetings, and evaluations of town service. The girls are chosen to represent the community by their pride in Lombard and their community service. Girls from the ages of 16-21 compete for one of the five spots to become a lilac princess. The five princesses must be residents of Lombard and must have had service hours from different local services in Lombard. The criteria are based on the above mentioned areas as well as a great character and overall grades. The princesses can be from all three of the high schools in the Lombard area, Glenbard East High School, Montini Catholic High School, or Willowbrook High School as long as they have proof of residency in Lombard, Illinois. The princesses can also be from the Butterfield area. However they must have a proof of residency in Lombard, Illinois as well. The five princesses are announced in mid March. From there, they each are given the front page of the Lombardian [5], so the town can get to know them. The Lombardian talks about their achievements and their characteristics. The princesses are chosen by a select group of judges who listen in on the interviews and evaluate their applications. The interview process is crucial and many girls are turned away from the lilac queen competition. Then on the first Saturday in May, the lilac queen is chosen. The queen must continue her services for the town of Lombard for the next year. Then the next May, the process of crowning a new queen begins again. Once the lilac queen is chosen, the 16 day celebration [6] continues.

Concerts in the Park

Lilac time continues with concerts in the park. From the Saturday night after the lilac queen is chosen until the Saturday before parade day, there are concerts held Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Lilacia Park. The concerts are family oriented and are open to the public. While listening to the music, families are able to walk around the park and look at the lilacs or they can sit down and have a picnic. Some of the bands that play in the park range from The Dooley Brothers to The Impact of Brass.

Mother's Day Brunch

There is, a Mother’s Day brunch held at Lilacia Park, the first Sunday in May. The Mother’s can take a day off from their children and spend time with their friends as they have a breakfast surrounded by lilacs.

Arts and Crafts Fair

The following Sunday the Arts and Crafts Fair takes place. The arts and crafts fair contains different tents selling items from lawn decorations to Lombard t-shirts. The tents are lined up on St. Charles Street where the town can walk around and shop or just look at all the different items for sale. The Lombard fire department is also there with a fire truck so children can experience what it’s like to sit in one and pretend to be a firefighter. While at the arts and crafts fair, local restaurants sample some food that ranges from lilac lemonade to lilac Italian ice.

Tours of Lilacia Park

Throughout the month of May, there are tours of Lilacia Park. Volunteers walk through the park talking about the different flowers and other historical aspects about Lombard. However, no tour is mandatory. The public is allowed to walk around the park freely without a tour guide. Historical tours of the town and the famous homes in Lombard are given as well. Some famous homes include the Little Orphan Annie House, which was once home to the creator of the Little Orphan Annie comic strips, Harold Gray. Other famous homes and historical societies including the Sheldon Peck Homestead are also open for display. These homes can be viewed by a trolley ride around Lombard.

Lilac Sale and Lilac Ball

The second Friday in May is the lilac sale as well as the lilac ball. Lombard garden club sells the public lilac bushes so that they too can have beautiful lilacs blooming in their yard. Then, that Friday night is the lilac ball. The lilac ball is held at the Carlisle. The four princesses and the queen attend this event with their dates as well as the important people of Lombard. The queen and her court wear prom attire and the other exclusive Lombardians dress in their Sunday best. The lilac ball is one of the most extravagant nights for the town of Lombard. The President of the Village of Lombard, Mr. William J. Mueller is there with his wife, as well as other important officers and business owners for the Village of Lombard.

Beer and Wine Tasting Events

The week continues on with more concerts in the park and tours of Lilacia Park until the final weekend of lilac time. Lilacia Park is free to the residents of Lombard. If you are not a resident there is a small price to pay to observe the park. Friday begins with the beer tasting event. The men and women of Lombard pay to taste beer. All different kinds of beer are there for the tasting. Continued on Saturday night the wine tasting also occurs. Similar to the beer tasting event, Lombardians are allowed to taste different wines from all over the world. However, these nights are only available to the adult residents of Lombard. Much like the lilac ball, important officers and business owners are spotted at the wine and beer tasting events. These events are held at Lilacia Park as well. There is also an Old Fashioned Tea for the women of Lombard on the second Saturday morning during lilac time.

5K Run/Walk

Saturday morning starts off with the 5k run/walk with your dogs and the one mile walk. Lombardians bring their dogs and they participate in a run/walk race. The race covers different areas of Lombard and the streets are blocked off for this big event. Petless owners can also participate in the 5K run/walk.

Pancake Breakfast and Children's Day

The pancake breakfast in Lilacia Park is followed by the 5K run/walk. Families from all over the town come to eat breakfast around the lilacs and just experience their surroundings. After the breakfast, kid’s day begins. Throughout the town, there are things for children to do. They can play games, get their faces painted, get tattoos, and they can even get balloon art animals made for them. Children can also have fun throughout the month with the little lilac ball; the children can experience what it is like to dress up in elegant attire and go to a dance. There is also a teddy bear tea. The teddy bear tea is just like the Old Fashion Tea for mothers except, the children can bring their teddy bears and have juice and cookies. There is also drop in story times for children at the local Helen Plum Library located right in front of Lilacia Park. The Librarians tell stories about spring and do some crafts pertaining to the stories. Lilacia Park has entertainment for the children and families as well. Throughout the day on Saturday the town prepares for its annual lilac parade by setting up their lawn chairs along Main Street.

The Parade

The parade is the final day of the 16 day lilac celebration. It is the biggest part of lilac time and it has been happening since 1930 [7] . As mentioned above people begin blocking off their lawns during the day on Saturday. By Saturday night Main Street is covered with chairs, blankets, and bleachers for the big parade. If you want to be able to sit and watch the parade, you must have your chairs set up the night before because the spots go fast. On average 55,000 [8] people come to watch and enjoy the Lombard Lilac Parade. The stores on Main Street close, and get ready for the parade to begin. The stores and local services line up the floats they have created on the side streets to prepare for the parade. The floats are all designed for the theme of that year. The parade begins on the corner of Wilson Street and Main Street at Glenbard East High School and continues down Main Street until they reach the corner of Main Street and Maple Street. The parade begins with the local fire trucks blasting their sirens along with neighboring town fire trucks such as Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Then the different high school and middle school marching bands follow. Glenbard East’s marching band however, is not until the last section of the parade. The parade goes through the town with the Indian Princesses, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scout Troops with all of their decorated floats. Their fathers walk along side of them with washable Crayola makers and draw war paint on the children watching the parade for fun. Other floats from various local businesses and public relations are also in the parade, such as, the Helen Plum Library and First Church of Lombard floats. The village president, secretary, and other village officials come by in cars with convertible tops and wave to the crowd. Then, the antique cars and horses come by. The horses are followed by the local Village of Lombard street cleaners. The street cleaners radiate a lilac scent with their cleaning fluid for the purpose of the lilac parade. Finishing off the parade is the Glenbard East High School marching band and the lilac princesses. The queen sits on the top of the float, and then the four princesses sit around her. The final ending to the parade is when the sign comes by with the theme for the parade for the coming year. Once the parade is over, everyone packs their chairs and blankets up. They head home until the next May when Lilac Time in Lombard, Illinois begins again. With a new set of princesses, a new queen, and more lilacs.