Lompoc Valley Flower Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lompoc Valley Flower Festival |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Community flower festival, parade, royalty program |
| Dates | 1952-2019, 2022-present |
| Location(s) | Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California |
| Years active | 61 |
| Website | Lompoc Valley Flower Festival |
The Lompoc Valley Flower Festival is a big yearly party in Lompoc, California. This city is in northern Santa Barbara County, California. The festival celebrates the beautiful flowers that once grew everywhere in the Lompoc Valley.
The Lompoc Valley Festival Association organizes this fun event. It happens every year at Ryon Memorial Park. The festival runs for five days, from Wednesday to Sunday. It usually takes place on the last full weekend in June.
The Flower Festival began in 1952. It got its name from the many flower fields around Lompoc. These fields used to be very important for the area. The festival has a carnival with rides and games. There is also live entertainment and tasty food. You can find cool arts and crafts, plus a special flower center. A Flower Festival Queen is crowned, and a big Parade happens on Saturday morning.
History of the Festival
The Lompoc Valley Flower Festival started in 1952. But it wasn't always a flower festival! At first, it was a yearly rodeo and parade. This original event grew bigger each year.
Then, a well-known person from Lompoc named George Miller had an idea. He thought Lompoc should celebrate its unique flower fields. He convinced the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce to change the event. Miller explained that many towns had rodeos. But Lompoc had its famous flower fields, which were special. He believed this was the perfect reason for a community event.
The new flower festival was built around The Alpha Clubs Flower Show. This flower show had been happening since 1922. The festival began as a two-day event. Over the years, it grew into the five-day celebration we know today. The parade is now one of the biggest parts of the festival.
The festival did not happen in 2020 and 2021. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it returned in 2022 and continues to be a favorite event.
The Big Parade
The Flower Festival Parade happens every year on Saturday morning. It starts in downtown Lompoc. The parade travels through town and ends at Ryon Memorial Park. This is where the main festival is held.
The parade route follows "H" Street and Ocean Avenue. A special rule for the parade is that every float must be made of flowers. They can also use other natural materials. This makes the parade very colorful and beautiful!
