As the Lilac Festival comes to an end, thousands of people celebrate at Highland Park in Rochester

Rochester, New York – Thousands of people flocked to Highland Park on Sunday for the 126th annual Lilac Festival, which concluded.

People waited in line to enjoy the last day of the Lilac Festival in Rochester. Thousands of people enjoyed the sights and festival attractions while spending the day at Highland Park. Hilton resident Isabella Mulcahy, an amateur photographer, was one of them.

“This is a great tradition and I’m so excited that we kept it up and there’s such a great crowd here today we were excited when we saw how many people were in the parking lot,” said Mulcahey. “It’s a great chance to take some film photography too and some regular photos.”

Marshall Brooks recalled fond recollections of spending time at the festivals with his family in Rochester. To be with them, he drove from Delray Beach, Florida.

“Mom and Dad always brought me and my sister here years ago when we were little,” said Brooks. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s a really good time.”

Under the intense sun, vendors such as Nancy’s Fried Dough’s Joey Bagnato were assiduously tending to the thousands of attendees. At one of the festival entrances stood Bagnato and his colleagues.

“It’s just nice seeing everyone come out here, there’s a lot of good bands, the flowers, a lot of good food,” said Bagnato. “It’s just good to see everyone come together enjoying the weather. The last five days, it’s been raining and pouring and we had to close for the severe weather warning but it’s good. Mother’s Day was packed, and today we’re making the money back so that’s a plus.”

The 45th annual Lilac Festival run, which raises funds for at-risk youngsters, began the last day.

“We just did the 10K, it’s awesome, our kids are with us so it’s a good family-friendly event,” said Samantha Schuppenhauer of Buffalo. “Absolutely love the running community,” said Robin Teal of Henderson. “It’s like a family.”