As residents and visitors attend Rochester’s annual Lilac Festival this year, bus stops around Downtown Rochester will have detours due to construction.
The Lilac Festival and Art in the Park are both at Highland Park. Art in the Park stretches along Reservoir Avenue.
Due to the Highland Park traffic control plan and construction near downtown Rochester, festivalgoers should anticipate changes to bus routes and traffic patterns.
Here’s what you should expect:
RTS detours will go into effect this month
RTS Route 10, near East End, will be detoured on weekends until further notice.
Stop 3542, near South Avenue and Broad Street, will be temporarily discontinued during weekends until further notice. On the weekends, riders can pick up the bus at the RTS Transit Center or at the shelter in front of the Public Library, south of Broad Street.
Beginning May 29, the RTS Irondequoit Plaza hub is temporarily located within the Plaza. The temporary hub is located west of the current hub within the parking lot. This will affect Routes 1, 2 and 4.
Public transit services for the 2026 Lilac Festival
Two RTS routes will service the festival site. Riders can attend the festival through RTS routes 13 and 41.
Shuttle services are limited. They are only available on Church Street, near downtown Rochester, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17.
Shuttles are ADA-accessible and will cost $10 per person for a round-trip ticket. Children 12 and under are free. Guests planning to use the shuttle service can access parking at the Sister Cities Garage on North Fitzhugh Street. Parking in the garage costs $7, and payments can be made only with a card.
Driving to the Lilac Festival? Here’s where you can park
The main lot, near the official festival site, is located on Elmwood Avenue, between South Clinton and South Avenue, just west of Meadowbrook Road.
Attendees can access parking near Gateway Circle along Elmwood Avenue.
Visit roclilacfest.com/guest-info/ to learn more.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bus routes and parking during Rochester Lilac Festival
Reporting by Genae Shields, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
