Lilac convention spotlights Lombard’s Lilacia Park
Lombard’s annual Lilac Time will have an international flavor this year, as the International Lilac Society is hosting its yearly convention in conjunction with the beginning of the floral celebration.
Hosting the convention will highlight Lilacia Park and teach some residents about the science behind the beauty of lilacs, said Marymae Meyer, a Lombard resident and the International Lilac Society convention’s local chairwoman.
“The convention coming here is really shining a light on what I’ve wanted to have happen for a long time, and that is to help educate Lombardians more about what there is to appreciate with our lilac collection beyond just the aroma and the nice colors for a couple of weeks,” Meyer said.
“I feel the more Lombardians know about the collection, the better off we are as a community.”
Meyer herself knows quite a lot about lilacs. And she’s willing to share:
Ÿ Lilacia Park’s lilac collection is exactly 100 years old. It started in 1911 with two varieties, called cultivars.
Ÿ Lilac cultivars often are named after people. Col. William Plum, who started Lilacia Park by planting two types of lilacs in his backyard, has a cultivar named after him, but no plants of that variety currently are growing in Lilacia Park.
Ÿ The Lombard Lilac League kept scientific record of the plants until World War II. Then the information becomes more spotty.
Ÿ At least one lilac tree has been present in the same location in the park since 1936.
More than 50 members of the international lilac group will gather at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center Thursday to Saturday, April 28-30, traveling to Lilacia Park, 227 W. Parkside Ave., Saturday for a panel discussion and a lilac auction.
“If there’s any place to learn about lilacs in the right way, the panel discussion is really it,” Meyer said.
Meyer said Lombard Village President Bill Mueller wrote a letter to the International Lilac Society after she joined asking the group to choose Lombard as a convention host site.
Mueller said he is glad for the opportunity to have people from other cities, states and even countries visit Lombard. But Lilac Time mainly is a time of pride for locals.
“Lilac Time is a fabulous, very busy time,” Mueller said. “It’s just a joyful time for all of our residents to be proud of the community they live in.”
As always, the spring celebration will last a few weeks in early May and feature events such as lilac heritage tours, musical entertainment, art shows, a pancake breakfast and a parade.
Lilac Time begins Saturday, April 30, with the Lilac Queen coronation at 1 p.m. in the park, and concludes Sunday, May 15, with a parade stepping off at 1:30 p.m. from Main Street and Wilson Avenue and heading north.
Lilac Time in Lombard
Lilac Time Art and Craft Fair
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1
Where: Downtown Lombard on St. Charles Road between Main and Elizabeth streets
Cost: Free, with items for sale
Details: A variety of craft vendors will offer wares, The Dooleys Folk will play a concert in Lilacia Park, 227 W. Parkside Ave., at 1 p.m.
Info: (630) 627-5040; lombardchamber.com
DuPage Invitational Sculpture and 3-D Art Show
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 7
Where: Lilacia Park, 227 W. Parkside Ave., Lombard
Cost: Free, with art for sale
Details: Browse the works of 25 DuPage County art students and professionals showing more than 35 pieces of unique 3-D art
Info: dupagesculpture.org
Lilac Time Mutt Strut 5K and Puppy Path 1-Mile Walk
When: 8 a.m. Saturday, May 14
Where: Downtown Lombard at Maple Street and Park Avenue
Cost: $20 residents, $25 nonresidents
Details: Race-day registration starts at 7 a.m.; registration includes a T-shirt and ticket to a pancake breakfast in Lilacia Park, 227 W. Parkside Ave., from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Info: lombardparks.com