In 1982 the festival was started by Judy Watkins, then the owner of “The Pine Cone Parlor”, the original restaurant where today the “La Lena” Mexican restaurant operates. The festival is a way to forget winter and welcome the approaching spring & 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 our mountain climate, and its short flowering season falls ‘roughly’ the same time as the Festival.

As the years progressed, so did the events size. The Festival was made a permanent, annual event sponsored by the Pine Mountain Club Commercial Property Owners Association (PMCCPOA). Rosetta Burgelin took over as Event Chair and successfully put on the event (with a lot of help, of course) for the next 25 years or so.

After Rosetta’s retirement another longtime member of the community, Mark Bailey, who then owned “Madd Bailey’s Pub”, took the reigns for this annual event for a number of years along with help from various very dedicated volunteers. Now in 2023, the new President of the PMCCPOA, is Debbie Bailey (Mark’s wife), she is a real estate agent with Fenton Real Estate based out of The Perch Restaurant (previously Madd Bailey’s). Mark and Debbie have been very involved in our local community for many years and will assist in the upcoming village events. However, this festival will be spearheaded by the Vice President of PMCCPOA, Elizabeth Gower. Elizabeth and her husband Tony Gower are the owners of the Pine Mountain Inn. Elizabeth has a great team of volunteers to help run this event for many years to come! 

The original festivals also incorporated a small car show for locals and visitors to show off their “hot rods” and “classic” cars. The car show (now (“Run to the Pines Auto Show”) grew in popularity so it is now a separate event typically held on the second Saturday of August each summer. The Lilac Festival has always had a parade to kick things off. The parade was originally directed through the village center in Pine Mountain Club, but because of the size of the event growing it soon was held on Mil Potrero Hwy (the only main road that runs through Pine Mountain Club). 

*** A little “unknown plant fact” – Few people know that there is an actual native bush in the California Mountain areas referred to as the “White Bark California Lilac”. The ones that grow in this area are a shrub that has blue flower shoots and very sticky, fragrant leaves. More about these lilacs can be found here:

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/ceanothus-leucodermis

there are many varieties of wild California Lilacs so don’t be surprised if you’ve seen others up here as well as these.