There is a day trip that engages all five senses simultaneously. Warkworth, a small village in Northumberland County about 90 minutes east of Toronto, hosts the Warkworth Lilac Festival every last weekend of May.
If you’ve never planned a trip around a smell before, this is the one to start with.
Walk The Millennium Lilac Trail
The festival’s centrepiece is the Millennium Lilac Trail, a walking path lined with over 300 bushes across 83 unique varieties. From classic purple to rare white and pink cultivars, the scent hits you before you even see the blooms.
Master gardeners provide planting advice, offer guided tours, and sell lilac shrubs, including the hardy Canadian Preston Lilacs, for cash on-site. The festival earned a Canada 150 Garden Experience Award in 2017.
Stay For The Festival
Beyond the trail, the weekend fills with live music from rotating local acts, a kids’ lilac scavenger hunt, cupcake decorating, and a lilac-themed floral arrangement contest.
The artisan marketplace draws local vendors and horticultural societies, while food stalls serve wood-fired pizza and kettle corn.
The Spring into Art Fair at Warkworth Town Hall runs free alongside the festival and features work from seven local artists. It’s well worth stopping by, even if you’re not typically drawn to gallery spaces.
Explore Main Street
Warkworth’s compact Main Street is perfect for a slow wander before or after the trail.
Independent shops, the Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre, the Warkworth Museum, and a handful of cafés make it easy to turn the visit into a full, unhurried day out.
With lilacs in full bloom and live music in the air, Warkworth makes a fragrant spring day trip. The village itself is well worth wandering.
The Details
When: May 30 & 31, 2026, 10 am–4 pm
Where: Millennium Lilac Trail & Main Street, Warkworth, ON
Getting there: ~90 min east of Toronto via Hwy 115 or Hwy 35
More info: warkworthlilacfestival.ca
