Lilacs get the jump on Lilac Time

It's still a month before Lombard's big Lilac Parade.

Tell that to the lilacs.

Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather we've enjoyed this spring, some lilacs are already in bloom. This week, the Lombard Park District moved its Bloom-o-Meter up two notches closer to full bloom.

But not to worry. Lilacia Park's 1,200 lilacs - and 200 varieties - include early, mid and late bloomers, so there's no chance of a Lilac Time without lilacs.

Peak bloom generally occurs sometime during the festival, which runs this year from April 30 to May 16. But that depends totally on the weather.

"If we do get cooler temperatures, that will make our blooms last a bit longer, so it's all up to Mother Nature," said Kathy McManis, marketing and communications manager for Lombard Park District.

The tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are putting on a colorful show now, so it's a good time to take a stroll through Lilacia Park.

The park district dropped the admission fee during Lilac Time two years ago, and "we'll never charge an admission fee to come look at (the lilacs)," McManis said.

The Lilac Queen will be crowned May 1 and the annual parade is May 16.