Couse House Lilacs. Courtesy/Janet Burns
Lilacs. Courtesy/Lenny FosterTCCC News:
TAOS, NM ― The Taos County Chamber of Commerce along with Taos Lilac Festival, Inc. will host the Taos Lilac Festival this year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18-20 at Kit Carson Park.
The festival is a community event held each year during the two weeks between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day to celebrate the arrival of blooming lilacs throughout the Taos area.
Activities planned for the 2018 Grand Festival Weekend include: the New Mexico Food, Beer & Wine Garden, Kids Corner, Arts and Crafts Fair, Pet Parade, Tio Vivo Carousel and live music. A new addition to the festival this year is the Open Air Expo featuring a wide variety of home, garden and outdoor products and services. A self-guided walking tour map of the Taos historic district will be available the event for touring the area and viewing and enjoying the aroma of blooming lilacs.
Fan favorites are back this year like the Taos Taco Cook-Off and the New Mexico Beer & Wine Garden featuring beer, wines and food made in New Mexico.
Additionally, the Los Jardineros Garden Club will host a large tent and outdoor display where fifteen different varieties of live lilacs will be available for purchase.
A New Mexico True event, the Lilac Festival draws in visitors to Taos County from the surrounding states to participate in the annual festivities. With the assistance of the New Mexico Tourism Department, the Town of Taos and Taos County, the event is marketed to communities throughout New Mexico and neighboring states and is quickly turning into a major northern New Mexico annual event.
The event is a large community effort that runs on volunteer support. To find out how to get involved in the Taos Lilac Festival, call 575.751.8800 or go to www.taoschamber.com.
For more information on the Taos Lilac Festival, including a full schedule of events, please go to: www.taoschamber.com.
More about the Town of Taos
Located just 135 miles from Albuquerque’s International Sunport and a short, 90-minute drive from Santa Fe, Taos is home to the country’s oldest continuously inhabited community (Taos Pueblo), the state’s newest national monument (Río Grande del Norte), and the highest peak in New Mexico (Wheeler Peak).
World-class skiing, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fishing, and mountain biking can all be found nearby. Motorists enjoy the region’s celebrated scenic drives, including the Enchanted Circle and the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos. The area also boasts ample four-wheeling and off-road trails that crisscross the backcountry. Golf Digest’sfour-star-rated Taos Country Club championship golf course offers players spectacular scenery and panoramic mountain views. Other hidden Taos travel gems include cultural sites like the San Francisco de Asís Church, the downtown plaza, “El Corazon de Taos,” as well as museums and galleries, weekend music and art festivals, and even llama trekking adventures.
Finally, most Taos travelers find that their getaways are not complete without indulging in the local New Mexico cuisine and its famous red and green chile options that infiltrate everything from breakfast burritos to pizza. To learn more, go to www.taos.org.
