56th Annual Lilac Festival Begins June 10
By Jessica Delaney

At right: Lilacs in bloom at Fort Mackinac.

As the Island’s many lilacs burst into bloom, the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau is wrapping up its planning for the 56th Lilac Festival, with a number of new events added this year to the 10-day celebration. A complete calendar of events is printed on Page 10 of this week’s Town Crier.

The festival will begin Friday, June 10, with the crowning of the 2005 Lilac Queen, Blisse Beardsley, and Princess, Shelbie Mosley, at Marquette Park. The Queen’s court includes Kristi Kamphuis, Emily St. Onge, Karlena Mosley, and Christina McLean, all students at Mackinac Island Public School.

A special guest at this year’s coronation ceremony will be Miss Teen Michigan, Catherine Laurion.

One of the newest events to the Lilac Festival will occur Friday night at the Lilac Tree Hotel with a Queen’s dance for teenagers to enjoy, with light food donated and beverages and music provided by disk jockey Brevin Cawthorne. The dance floor will feature a giant mirror ball.

Saturday, June 11, the Lilac Festival 10K Foot race will return, with registration available online at www.gaultracemanagement.com.

The Mackinac Island Public Library will host its annual used book sale beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. Most books are donated, and along with hardcover and paperback books will be some audio books, a few videos, and some CDs, as well as a table of newer books for $5. The library will be closed for circulation on Saturday to devote all resources to the book sale.

In the afternoon, visitors can stretch out on the grass at Surrey Hills and listen to singer-songwriters Kirby and Michelle Chenard perform a free concert. Tourism Bureau Director Mary Slevin said the concert is a great opportunity for people to hear local talent. The musicians will also be playing at free concerts throughout the festival.

A reception for the Mackinac 7 art show will be Sunday, June 12, at the Murray Hotel.

Wednesday, June 15, provides a day of tours, including the tour of the Governor’s Summer Residence, a tour of Grand Hotel’s gardens, a tour of the historic downtown buildings, and a tour of the 4-H barn at Mission Stables.

Wednesday will also feature a number of tasty opportunities. The Mackinac Island Community Foundation will host a Feast of Epona and silent auction of many horse-related items at Seabiscuit & Grog Cafe. In the evening, a new event, The Art of Entertaining, will allow guests to learn to decorate a 5-inch cake and to arrange a bouquet with Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef Kim Sperl of Bella e Dolce and Jay Porcaro of Weber’s Floral & Gift.

Thursday, June 16, is Taste of Mackinac at Harbour View Inn. Featuring local chefs, Taste of Mackinac allows guests to enjoy food from the Island’s restaurants. In previous years, the event operated as a contest, with chefs vying to win votes from guests, but this year it will merely be an opportunity to sample some of the Island’s finest cuisine.

Lilac discussions will be taking place throughout the week at different bed and breakfasts. Speakers from the International Lilac Society will give presentations about the care of lilacs. Wine-Tasting events will also be taking place at different restaurants throughout the week, as will bicycle tours.

The final weekend of the Lilac Festival is filled with events for the family to enjoy. Saturday, June 18, will be Kid’s Day at Fort Mackinac. Included with fort admission will be costumed interpreters, both soldiers and Victorian ladies, as well as a series of 19th century games for kids to enjoy.

Another family event Saturday will be the first ever Epona & Barkus Parade. The parade will be put on by the new Mackinac Island Dog & Pony Club and will feature Island dogs as well as greyhounds, K-9 police dogs, and Haflinger ponies. The parade will end at Winderemere Point, and will be immediately followed by another new event, the Dog and Pony Show. The show will include costume contests, presentations by dog legends such as Mike Morgan of Midland Michigan Kennels, and activities such as “Smooch the Pooch.” There will be a pre-parade celebration at French Outpost and The Jockey Club, as both restaurants allow dogs on their outside decks. Following the parade will be a party at Mission Point Resort’s Eurogardens, which not only allows dogs, it has a dog menu.

There will not be any fireworks at the Festival this year, but that doesn’t mean that Saturday night will be boring. In place of fireworks, Mission Point Resort will be hosting a drive-in movie on their front lawn. Guests can bring blankets or lawn chairs, though it is asked that those with lawn chairs sit near the back so everybody can see. “Somewhere In Time” and “This Time For Keeps” will be playing, both movies which filmed on location on the Island.

The festival will conclude on Sunday with the Grand Parade. Prior to the Parade will be a band overture at Marquette Park. The free concert will feature school bands, fife and drum corps, and Celtic pipes.

The Parade itself will be following the theme of “The Lilac Fairy,” based on a collection of stories by Victorian author Andrew Lange. The parade will feature horse-drawn floats, carriages, bicycles, military units, bands, and the returning Scottville Clown Band. The parade will follow the downtown route from Mission Point to Windermere Point.

A concert at Winderemere Point will follow the parade.