Rochester Lilac Festival Offers Discount for Canadian Visitors

ROCHESTER, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 26, 2017) - They don't call Rochester "Flower City" for nothing. On May 12-21, 2017, the city will host its 119^th annual Lilac Festival, the largest free festival of its kind in North America, with a magnificent array of gardens, musical performances, exhibits and vendors. This year, the festival is rolling out a special discount for visitors attending the festival from Canada -- offering $5.00 USD off the registration cost for the Lilac Run on Sunday, May 21 or the Lilac Craft Beverage Expo on Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20.

The Lilac Run sends racers past the 1,500 lilacs in Rochester's Highland Park and through the residential town of Brighton before returning to the park for an after party and celebration. Runners can participate in a 5K or 10K, or the special DD Dash -- a one mile sprint sponsored by Dunkin Donuts, where runners eat a dozen Munchkins at the halfway mark before racing back to the finish line.

The Lilac Craft Beverage Expo operates at a different pace -- no running and much more sampling. Regional, artisanal and specialty release selections of beer, wine, cider and craft spirit tastings will be offered during three of the main festival days -- Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20. Cheeses, chocolate, and farm products will also be available at the expo on select days.

To redeem this offer and get the $5.00 discount, Canadian visitors can enter promo code "CANADA" when registering for the Lilac Run or purchasing tickets for the Lilac Craft Beverage Expo. Discount must be redeemed by May 5.

The Lilac Festival kicks off the summer festival season in Upstate New York. Events are happening regularly from June through October -- celebrating everything from women's rights, the arts and comedy to local food and wine. Notable festivals taking place in 2017 include:

GlassFest: May 25 - 28, 2017
Corning, NY
GlassFest is a four-day celebration of glass and the fire arts in the Crystal City, featuring live hot glass shows, artist demonstrations throughout Corning's Gaffer District, live music and entertainment, shopping and dining.

Red, White & Blue Balloon Rally: May 26 - 29, 2017
Archery Field, Letchworth State Park
Six massed hot air balloon flights: Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Monday at 6:00 a.m. Launching from the Archery Field.

27th Annual Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival: July 20 - 23, 2017
Trumansburg, NY
Four days, four stages, 70+ bands, and plenty of dancing, art, camping, workshops, healing arts, yoga, family fun and more at this annual festival in the Finger Lakes.

Agri-Palooza!: June 4, 2017
Castile, NY
A celebration of Wyoming County Agriculture, with farm tours, demonstrations, hay rides and more.

3rd Annual New York Craft Brewers Festival: June 10, 2017
Utica, NY
The New York Craft Brewers Festival will bring together up to 45 New York State Breweries from every region of the state, featuring up to 130 hard-to-find and award-winning beers.

14th Annual Chautauqua Writers' Festival: June 15 - 18, 2017
Chautauqua, NY
Live and write with award-winning poets, fiction writers and nonfiction writers who share their insights in intensive workshops, readings, panel discussions and individual conferences designed to ensure personalized attention. Includes a songwriting workshop.

2017 Great Lakes Experience Festival: June 17, 2017 11 - 5pm
Dunkirk, NY
A free family festival with many activities, including environmental displays, health and wellness organizations, live animals, food trucks, and a free fishing event for kids and adults.

Path Through History Weekend: June 17 - 18, 2017
Experience a Revolutionary War battle, discover some of New York State's and the U.S.'s greatest natural wonders or relive some of the greatest moments in sports. Visit over 500 destinations across the state and choose from 13 themes to create your own Path Through History.

Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival: June 23 - July 1, 2017
Rochester, NY
This festival navigates all genres of creative improvised music from all corners of the world with over 1,500 musicians and more than 325 concerts at 19 venues.

49th Annual Corn Hill Arts Festival: July 8 - 9, 2017
Rochester, NY
This free festival features 375 juried artists, four music stages, and two beer and wine gardens all set in the historic Corn Hill neighborhood of Rochester.

Finger Lakes Wine Festival: July 14 - 16, 2017
Watkins Glen, NY
More than 80 wineries join numerous vendors and restaurants for the Finger Lakes Wine Festival, presented by Yancey's Fancy New York's Artisan Cheese each year.

VoteTilla - Commemorating the NY Centennial of Women's Suffrage: July 16 - 22, 2017
Rochester, NY
A weeklong navigational celebration of New York's Women's Suffrage Centennial and key people and places that made it possible. Events will take place along the Erie Canal from Seneca Falls to Rochester.

9th Annual Brantling Bluegrass Festival: July 27 - 30, 3017
Sodus, NY
Three jam-packed days of great bluegrass music from some of the top national, regional and local bands. Fireworks, kids' events, vendors and more. 

Lucy Comedy Festival: August 3 - 6, 2017
Jamestown, NY
Featuring over 50 events, including stand-up comedy, discussions about comedy, classes in stand-up, improv, sketch and more, comedy happy hours, kids shows, Lucy & Ethel dinner shows, a silent auction, Lucy town and cemetery tours, I Love Lucy under the stars and a Lucy trivia show.

KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival: September 14 - 23, 2017
Rochester, NY
Expect the unexpected in this unique, multi-arts festival that both showcases and stimulates creativity with theatre, comedy, dance, music.

AppleUmpkin Festival: September 23 - 24, 2017
Wyoming, NY
A fall arts and crafts festival held throughout the historic gaslight village of Wyoming, NY. In addition to numerous arts, crafts and food vendors, the festival offers non-stop family entertainment and an appleumpkin bake off.

ImageOut - The Rochester LGBT Film Festival: October 5 - 15, 2017
Rochester, NY
Celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2017, this 11-day festival features over 40 program and 70 films from around the world.

20th Annual Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour "Tasting Weekend": October 6 - 9, 2017
Lyons, NY
Take a self-driving tour on scenic county roads ablaze in autumn glory from market to market. Enter to win prizes along the way. The Apple Tasting Tour Challenge starts October 1 and runs through the 31.

Letchworth Arts & Crafts Show: October 8 - 9, 2017
Highbanks Recreation Area, Letchworth State Park
Rated one of the best craft shows in the US! Over 300 arts & crafts vendors! 10am-5pm.

Peek'n Peak Fall Festival: October 14 - 22, 2017
Clymer, NY
Two weekends of fun at this fall festival, which includes a craft show, farmer's market, pumpkin cannon, children's crafts and activities, plus ski lift rides, a petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides and more.

Many areas of New York State also host tasting events, county fairs, and celebrations surrounding Independence Day (July 4) in the US, so keep an eye on the calendar when you plan your visit! Visit the Cross Border Showcase program website at www.crossbordershowcase.com for permanent attractions across New York and deals specific to Canadian visitors.

Cross Border Showcase Program

The Cross Border Showcase travel program encourages and entices Canadian visitors to explore deeper into New York State. The program showcases a unique collection of attractions and experiences that are all comfortably within driving distance from the Canadian border -- beginning in Western New York, Rochester and the Finger Lakes region to well into Central and Northern New York. The program's partners include accommodations, shopping destinations, family and four-season recreational activities, communities and tourist-friendly businesses. Many of the partners offer discounts for Canadian visitors. Current offers, information and destinations can be found at www.CrossBorderShowcase.com and by following the program's Twitter or Facebook.