Lancaster festival is full poppies
Thousands come to see flowers, attractions
LANCASTER, Calif.—It’s that time of year when California’s favorite flower is in bloom, and that means festival time. The city will host its 20th annual California Poppy Festival on April 16 and 17 at Lancaster City Park.
Mayor R. Rex Parris and several city council members joined city workers to preview a few of the new attractions and consider the expected fanfare at this year’s springtime celebration.
More than 45,000 visitors from all over Southern and Northern California flock to Lancaster just to see the poppies, enjoy the sunshine and taste the unique food creations from local restaurants.
“I hope everyone will come out and join us as we celebrate our 20th year hosting this spectacular event,” said Parris. “Bring the entire family and enjoy the fresh air, festivities and beautiful poppies.”
Launched in 1992, the festival’s reputation expands far beyond the Antelope Valley, and is known for family fun and diverse entertainment.
This year, festival-goers can enjoy Swing Dance Saturday and Classic Rock Sunday, as well as the Classic Car Show. Attractions for the children include the Adventure Zone where kids can encounter live animals at the petting zoo.
Other attractions include an animal circus, an art and history gallery, and more than 400 vendors.
The acclaimed “Taste of Lancaster” returns for a second year, featuring delicious cuisine from at least 15 local restaurants.
“We have some really outstanding cuisine in our city and this is a great opportunity to sample it for yourself and perhaps find a favorite new restaurant for you and your family,” said Lancaster City Manager Mark Bozigian.
Taste of Lancaster will take place on both days, with seating at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. Various restaurants will offer fare ranging from ethnic selections and pasta and pizza, to ice cream and a wine-tasting area. There will be a $5 charge for three tickets to sample any of the foods.
Wine-tasting is an additional $2 and will be limited to a maximum of two samples.
Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children (6-12), and $5 for seniors (62+). Kids under 6 are free.
Lancaster City Park is located at 43011 N. 10th Street West. The festival opens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
For more information, visit www.poppyfestival.com.
The 21st Annual California Poppy Festival will burst into bloom at Lancaster City Park on Saturday and Sunday with performers, events and exhibits. The festival attracts more than 45,000 visitors a year and offers an atmosphere where community and tourists come together to celebrate family, fun and the springtime beauty of the blooming poppies.
The legacy of the poppy is often seen as related to war, or the remembrance of it. It is in such a setting that Canadian John McCrae, a lieutenant colonel and surgeon in a British artillery brigade in Belgium during World War I, grieving over the recent burial of a friend, noticed how red poppies sprang up in the war-torn ground near the burial sites. It inspired him to compose the now-famous poem “In Flanders Fields.” It reads:
Applications are still being accepted from arts and crafts artisans who want to be a vender at the 22nd annual California Poppy Festival, to be held April 20 and 21 at Lancaster City Park, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Whether you draw, paint, sculpt, sew, make jewelry, or work with wood, iron or glass, the Poppy Festival is a great place to display your artistic talents while making extra money.
The California Poppy Festival draws approximately 50,000 visitors during the two-day event.
Just as wildflower enthusiasts look forward to the annual blooming of the California poppy, Antelope Valley residents look forward to the annual California Poppy Festival.
Lancaster City Park, site of the festival, seemed to blossom with more than 400 tents. Named for the California state flower, the festival turned 20 this year and drew people from all across the state.
The city of Lancaster is now accepting applications for the fourth annual Uniting Neighbors in a Team Effort (UNITE) program.
Applications for the UNITE program are available on the city’s website at www.cityoflancasterca.org/unite and must be submitted by Friday, June 14 at 5 p.m. (postmark dates will not be accepted).
The program, which aims to help build safer and stronger neighborhoods, offers residents an opportunity to propose neighborhood improvement projects and compete for the resources and funding needed to make those projects a reality.
