Festival Will Celebrate California State Flower

In a celebration of the state flower, the city will host the eighth annual California Poppy Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Lancaster City Park.

The festival will feature arts and crafts displays, including the works of 250 vendors and artists.

Poppy paintings and photographs by Jane Pinheiro and other artists will be displayed in the Poppy Pavilion. Visitors will also see paintings of other native wildflowers and landscape displays of poppies.

There will be several live jazz performances throughout the weekend, and flower experts will be on hand with information on wildflowers and maps showing where poppies are in bloom.

There are fewer poppies this year than last, said Alan Koelling, recreation supervisor for the Lancaster Parks, Recreation and Arts Department, which is paying for part of the festival.

“We haven’t had enough rain,” Koelling said. “We need good rainy weather in December and January and cold enough weather so the seeds do what they need to do, and we just haven’t had that combination.”

But there’s still much to appreciate about the flowers in bloom, he said.

The festival is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days at the park, 43011 N. 10th St. W. For more information, call (805) 723-6077.