Did you know that Spokane, Washington’s official nickname is the “Lilac City”? That’s probably the reason they schedule a Lilac Festival, which is celebrating its 75th year this week.

One can only assume that this city-wide fest in Spokane, Washington, coincides with the time of year that lilacs typically bloom here. That makes this week a good time for Road Trips Gardeners traveling in the inland Pacific Northwest to swing by, even if there’s no official tour of great lilac bushes.

Kickoff event is a Lilac Luncheon hosted by the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane, to be held at 11:30 a.m. today (May 13, 2013) in the Isabella Room of the Davenport Hotel.

The biggest happening is Saturday’s torchlight parade. It snakes through downtown, beginning at the corner of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Washington Street (map) at 7:45 p.m. May 18, 2013.