PARIS — After a long, hard winter, everyone is waiting for lilac time. Seeing and smelling Bernard McLaughlin’s impressive collection is a treat for locals and out-of-towners alike.

The Lilac Festival is sponsored annually at the McLaughlin Garden during Memorial Day Weekend. Special events will be held May 23-26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors may wander through the garden at will or take a tour at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. each day of the long weekend.

A lecture on growing lilacs is scheduled at 1 p.m. daily. Youngsters and the young at heart may enjoy a scavenger hunt. The art show in the barn, the work of poet and photographer Dan Trowbridge, the garden’s assistant gardener, will be open for viewing. A plant sale is ongoing and the gift shop will be open.

Lilacs are plants that bloom according to growing degree days. This means that a certain amount of warm weather initiates the flowers. People wishing to know if the lilacs are in bloom are invited to visit the garden’s Facebook page for the Lilac Watch postings or to call the garden at 743-8820. The garden has been alive with flowers for several weeks as other shrubs and perennials bloom. Bernard McLaughlin planned his garden to have a very long season of color extending from early spring right through the fall.

The McLaughlin Garden and Homestead is at 97 Main St., South Paris. A donation of $5 is requested for the ongoing maintenance of the historic property.