As flowers color the fields nearby, Lompoc launched the 63rd annual Flower Festival on Wednesday for its five-day run.
The festival, including a carnival, entertainment, a flower show and food booths, occurs at Ryon Memorial Park, at the corner of Ocean Avenue and O Street, and runs through Sunday.
The 2015 theme is “This Land Is Your Land.”
The annual Flower Festival Parade will roll through the city starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, traveling south on H Street from Pine Avenue, turning west on Ocean Avenue and ending at Ryon Park.
More than 60 entries will participate, with Grand Marshal Steve Jordan riding in a place of honor.
An artichoke grower, Jordan has lived in the Lompoc Valley since 1974. In 1986, he and his brother created a new artichoke variety and continued breaking new ground in the field of growing artichokes.
He continues to grow artichokes and other vegetables plus is a partner in Beachside Produce and Tender Grown Foods. He and his wife, Trish, own Baroda Farms.
Festival admission at Ryon Park was free Wednesday, but $3 after 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Parking is available on site for a nominal fee.
More than two dozen nonprofit groups plus commercial vendors will sell a variety of foods such as funnel cakes, strawberry shortcake, jambalaya, lumpia and tri-tip sandwiches.
Wednesday evening’s opening ceremony came days after the crowning of 2015 Flower Festival Queen Tess Leach on Saturday night.
This year’s festival again will feature a flower show Saturday and Sunday at Ryon Park. The show opens at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and closes at 3 p.m. Sunday. Awards will be handed out at 1 p.m. Saturday.
A full slate of entertainment will include Mirage, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band at 8:30 p.m. Thursday; Queen Nation, a Queen tribute band, at 8:30 p.m. Friday; and Jeffrey Perez, a Michael Jackson impersonator at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
While the number of fields has dropped off in the past couple of decades, colorful arrays still dot the landscape around Lompoc.
A detailed entertainment schedule, parade lineup and more can be found by clicking here.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.