Lilacs provide the scented backdrop for artisans, performers and musicians at the Pine Mountain Club Lilac Festival. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday (May 18 and 19, 2013) at Pine Mountain Club, California (map).

Admission and parking are free.

This is the 31st year for the fest, which centers on the lilac “because its short flowering season falls roughly at the same time as the Festival, and the powerful scent of lilacs is one of the few that outshines the always-present scent of sugar pine.”

Road Trips Gardeners take note. Organizers point out that, “there is an actual native lilac bush in the California Mountain areas. The ones that grow up here are called White Bark California Lilac. This shrub has blue flower shoots and very sticky, fragrant leaves. There are many varieties of wild California Lilacs so don’t be surprised if you’ve seen others up here as well as these.”