Take a typical Southern California spring weekend in May, add tall trees, snow-streaked mountain peaks, blue sky and pine-scented air and you have the beginnings of a recipe for family fun.

Begun in 1982 as a way to forget winter and welcome the approaching summer, the Lilac Festival started as little more than a bake sale and a Maypole dance and has grown into a full-fledged mountain tradition. The lilac was chosen as a centerpiece for the festival because it thrives in the mountain climate, and its short flowering season falls roughly at the same time as the festival. The powerful scent of lilacs is one of the few that outshines the always-present scent of sugar pine.

This year’s festival is on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. It begins at 9 a.m. each day and ends around 5 p.m. The traditional parade is at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Over 100 arts & crafts booths will be open all day, along with international food vendors, restaurants and unique shops. Live music will be played throughout the festival and a kiddie amusement area will be available, too. There are plenty of places to sit, relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the village and all of Pine Mountain Club.

The Lilac Festival takes place in Pine Mountain Village Center, 20 miles west of Interstate 5 at the Frazier Park exit. For directions and a map and for vendor information and applications, visit www.pmclilacfestival.com.

For additional information, call 661-242-1996, or email info@pmclilacfestival.com

Admission and parking are free.

The Pine Mountain Club Lilac Festival is sponsored by 3-Way Chevrolet-Cadillac, Bakersfield, and presented by the Pine Mountain Club Commercial Property Owners Association, Inc.