June 6-15 2008
Join us as we celebrate the 58th Annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. With ten days of events, there is fun for all.

A Taste of Mackinac
Each year, we celebrate the regional favorites and talents of our Island chefs. This year, on Thursday, June 12th from 11:30am-1:00pm, Taste of Mackinac will be held on the lilac filled lawn of the stately Harbour View Inn.

Grand Parade
Each season on Father's Day, the Grand Parade marks the close of the Lilac Festival at 5pm and this season's theme is Classic Saturday Morning Cartoons!!!

Lilac Festival Free Concert Series
Life would not be complete without music. Concerts abound at Windermere Point, Mission Church, Mission Point Theatre and the Island House Hotel's Ice House. This season we present Tricky Dicky and the Spoonmen, Alex Graham, John D. Lamb, Tony Lucca, Barrington Children's Choir and of course all of the great musicans that perform in Mackinac Island's pubs.

AMERICAN EXPRESS®
AMERICAN EXPRESS® is the official card of the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival.

AMERICAN EXPRESS® is accepted as the preferred method of payment for all Mackinac Island Lilac Festival ticketed events and at discerning Island businesses.

Feast of Epona
Epona is known as the Roman and Celtic goddess of horses and protector of all animals. She is celebrated with many events during the Lilac Festival. The Mackinac Community Foundation hosts the Feast of Epona fundraiser during our festival. The Mackinac Island Dog & Pony Club along with Trinity Church and Ste Anne's Church come together for the Blessing of the Animals at Mission Hill Stables and of course the Epona and Barkus Parade and Dog and Pony Show complete our fun loving celebration of Mackinac's horses, ponies and canine revelers. Partnering with us to promote equine and canine awareness are Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan, Great Lakes Mastiff Rescue, Inc., Mid Michigan Boxer Rescue, Leader Dogs for the Blind Puppy Raisers and Nutro Natural Choice Pet Foods. To be a part of the parade with your dog, email us.

Merchandise
Take home our festival merchandise for you and yours ranging from the Series I art of Richard Wolfgang to the second poster of Series II created by artist Betty Bea Washburn.

International Lilac Society
We are pleased to have representatives from ILS each festival to teach us about living with lilacs. This year we have several new additions to our calendar of lilac symposiums; the Learning to Care for Lilacs created especially for Children and the hot ticket: Walk and talk with Liilacs sessions with Jeff Young which teach care and pruning on Mackinac's finest or neediest lilac shrubs. Check our lilac festival calendar of events for times and locations.

Lilac Festival Parade Grand Marshall
The Grand Marshall will be announced each June . This parade has been hailed as a local legacy event by the Library of Congress and is one of the only all horse hitch parades in North America.