Highland Park, every May
Lilac Festival Ride Requests
Rochester's Lilac Festival fills Highland Park every May, and parking anywhere near the park fills right along with it. RideTheROC lets festival-goers post a ride request — from a ring town, a campus, or a downtown hotel — so a local driver already heading to the park can reply and coordinate directly.
Use it for trips to and from the festival grounds around Highland Avenue and South Goodman Street, evening concert timing, and group trips where one parking spot is not going to cut it.
How to write a better post
Festival drop-offs
Post your date, arrival window, and a general pickup area — a driver can drop the whole group at the gates while parking stays someone else's problem.
Concert timing
Evening shows end in a crowd surge; a pre-arranged pickup time and corner beats circling the neighborhood.
Ring-town trips
Greece, Webster, Henrietta, Fairport — post the round trip so one driver can plan both legs.
Group visits
Mention group size up front so drivers can judge fit; festival posts are often three or four people sharing.
Local Rochester context
Lilac Festival posts center on Highland Park — Highland Avenue, South Goodman Street, and the South Wedge — with pickups from downtown Rochester, the U of R and RIT campuses, and the ring towns.
How it works
Step 1
Post the request
Add pickup area, destination area, timing, group size, and any practical notes.
Step 2
Local people can reply
Drivers can browse posts and message if the timing and route fit.
Step 3
Coordinate directly
You decide details, comfort level, timing, and terms directly. RideTheROC does not dispatch.
Useful details to include
- Agree a specific pickup corner away from the busiest gates — the streets closest to the park move slowly during festival hours.
- Post return timing too; rides home after evening concerts are the hardest to arrange on the spot.
- Festival weekends are busy on the board — post a day or two ahead rather than the morning of.
Community board boundary
RideTheROC is a community message board. We do not dispatch rides, assign people, set fares, collect ride payments, verify insurance, or provide transportation. Users are responsible for their own arrangements, safety decisions, and legal compliance.
Common questions
Is RideTheROC a shuttle for the Lilac Festival?
No. RideTheROC is a free community ride request board, not a shuttle, taxi, or rideshare company. Festival-goers post requests and local drivers reply to coordinate directly.
When is the Lilac Festival?
It runs each May at Highland Park in Rochester. Check the festival's own site for this year's exact dates and events.
Where do pickups usually happen?
Riders and drivers typically agree a corner a short walk from the park — around the South Wedge, Highland Avenue, or South Goodman Street — rather than the jammed blocks at the gates.
Is a ride guaranteed during the festival?
No. It is a volunteer board and festival weekends are in demand — posting early with clear timing and fair gas money gives the best odds.