Every year thousands upon thousands of people flood Highland Park in Rochester to enjoy the annual Lilac Festival. Featuring a full hillside of blooming lilacs and other spring flowers, two weekends of craft vending, and a whole week of the city’s finest high brow and low brow food (Thanks Tahous!) – the biggest draw is ultimately the stellar musical lineup the city offers to music loving denizens for free. And wow – kudos to the organizers as this years lineup is jam-packed with talent.
Festival producer Jeff Springut of the Springut group on this years festivities:
“It’s always a delight to plan the musical lineup for the Rochester Lilac Festival, it’s a wide-open canvas, a free stage that goes from 10:30 in the morning until 8:30 in the evening. It’s a pleasure to have this opportunity to bring in some of the best touring musicians in the country.”
Running the gambit from the 70’s cowboy rock of The Outlaws, the funk-tastic Mingo Fishtrap and Dr Dog to jam favorites Blues Traveler and Rusted Root – this year will leave no music fan unfulfilled.
As always local bands get the focus most afternoons with Rochester’s own Thunderbody, Buddhahood, and Extended Family in the mix. The festival runs May 8-17 and admission is free. Check out the full lineup and day by day schedule below.
2015 Lilac Festival Lineup
5/8 Outlaws, Tommy Brunett, The Blind Owls
5/9 Zac Brown Tribute Band, Pokey LaFarge, Guthrie Brown and the Family Tree, The Blind Owls
5/10 The Psychedelic Furs, The Blind Owls, Deborah Magone, Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band
5/11 Dr. Dog, Adam Ezra Group, Extended Family
5/12 Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Cracker, Buddhahood
5/13 Blues Traveler, Davina and the Vagabonds
5/14 Rusted Root, Nobel Vibes
5/15 Mingo Fishtrap, Thunder Body
5/16 Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Beard
5/17 Ana Popovic, Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People, The Prickers, The Blind Spots, The Blind Owl Band
Detailed Day by Day Schedule – Sahlen’s Stage
Friday, May 8
10:30 am Cosgrove 7th Grade Chorus
11:30 am Passion For Purple Event
12:30 pm TBA
1:00 pm TBA
4:00 pm The Blind Owls
5:30 pm Tommy Brunett
7:00 pm The Outlaws
Saturday, May 9
12:30 pm Cool Club with the Lipker Sisters
1:30 pm Natalie B
2:30 pm The Blind Owls
4:00 pm Guthrie Brown and the Family Tree
5:30 pm Pokey LaFarge
7:00 pm ZBTB: Zac Brown Tribute Band
Sunday, May 10
10:30 am Fred Vine
11:30 am Fat City
12:30 pm Anonymous Willpower
2:30 pm Kat Wright & The Indomitable Soul Band
4:00 pm Deborah Magone
5:30 pm The Blind Owls
7:00 pm The Psychedelic Furs
Monday, May 11
10:30 am Webster Montessori School Chorus
11:00 am Gates Chili Middle School Jazz Band
12:00 pm Bishop Kearney High School: Murder of Crows
1:00 pm Twelve Corners Middle School Jazz Band
4:00 pm Extended Family
5:30 pm Adam Ezra Group
7:00pm Dr. Dog
Tuesday, May 12
10:30 am St. Joseph’s Elementary School Band
11:00 am Holley Elementary Chorus & Band
12:00 pm School 22
1:00 pm Leroy Central School District Bands
4:00 pm The Buddhahood
5:30 pm Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
7:00 pm Cracker
Wednesday, May 13
10:30 am Paul Road Elementary School Band
11:00 am Richard Mann Elementary 5th Grade Band
12:00 pm NRCS Select Choir and Wind Ensemble
1:00 pm Twelve Corners Middle School Jazz Band & Select Choir
4:00 pm TBA
5:30 pm Davina and the Vagabonds
7:00 pm Blues Traveler
Thursday, May 14
10:30 am Pal-Mac Select Ensembles
11:30 am Indian Landing Singers
12:15 pm School #19
1:00 pm Northstar Christian Academy
4:00 pm Noble Vibes
5:30 pm TBA
7:00 pm Rusted Root
Friday, May 15
10:30am – 3:00pm Rochester City School District “Bloomin Arts”
4:00pm Sirsy
5:30pm Thunder Body
7:00pm Mingo Fishtrap
Saturday, May 16
10:30 am Clayton Band & Choir
11:30 am Big Mike & The Motivators
12:30 pm TBA
2:00 pm Shine
3:30 pm Prime Time Funk
5:00 pm Joe Beard
7:00 pm Charlie Musselwhite
Sunday, May 17
11:30 am TBA
12:30 pm The Blind Owl Band
2:30 pm The Blind Spots
4:00 pm The Prickers
5:30 pm Danielle Ponder & The Tomorrow People
7:00 pm Ana Popovic
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