As the 73rd annual Lompoc Valley Flower Festival gets set to bloom for the next four days, organizers have put out a plea for fresh blossom donations to build the float for this year’s queen and her court to ride in during the parade.

Starting Thursday and running through Sunday, the festival will take place at Ryon Memorial Park, on West Ocean Avenue near South O Street. Festival gates at the park will open daily at 11 a.m. An opening ceremony is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday. The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The theme of this year’s festival is “America in Bloom: 250 Years.”

As parade day inched closer, the event’s organizers pleaded for help decorating the festival queen’s float, asking community members to donate fresh flowers of all varieties and colors. 

“Whether you have flowers from your garden or would like to donate bouquets, every bloom will help create a beautiful float that represents the heart and spirit of Lompoc,” organizers said in a social media post.

Donations can be dropped off at the Lompoc Valley Festival Association Office, 414 W. Ocean Ave.

“Your generosity helps keep this beloved tradition alive and makes our queen’s float something truly special for the entire community to enjoy,” organizers said. “Thank you for helping us make this year’s parade bloom with beauty and hometown pride!”

The 2026 Flower Festival queen, Haley Munoz, who was sponsored by the Lompoc Rotary Club, and her court have multiple appearances this week, including visiting residents and staff at the Lompoc Comprehensive Care Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Before leaving, Munoz and the princesses posed for pictures with Jose Becerra and Linda Bond, who were officially crowned the Comprehensive Care Center’s Flower Festival king and queen on Tuesday afternoon. They were chosen by staff and their fellow residents at the skilled nursing facility.

Both sets of Flower Festival royalty will ride the annual parade.

The parade will travel south on H Street starting at College Avenue before turning to go west on Ocean Avenue, ending at Ryon Park.

Dave Baker, a lifelong Lompoc resident and Lompoc High School class of 1993 graduate, has been named the grand marshal for this year’s parade.

Organizers said Baker has dedicated his life to serving his community both professionally and personally.

“Deeply committed to giving back, Dave has volunteered extensively throughout Lompoc as a youth sports coach, community leader, and advocate,” festival organizers said. 

With 28 years in the fire service, Baker began his career with the Vandenberg Hot Shots and now serves as a captain with the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District. He has played key leadership roles in major incidents across California and is a lead instructor at Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy.

Baker has been honored with numerous awards, including Lompoc Valley Man of the Year, the Gladiator Award and the Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow Award.

He serves as lead coordinator for the Every 15 Minutes program, as chairman of the Lompoc Trails and River Bend Bike Park Committee, and on the Lompoc Parks & Recreation Commission. 

For the next four days, food booths, arts and crafts booths, commercial vendors, a carnival, a beer garden and live entertainment will fill the park.

Helm and Sons Amusements will provide carnival rides and games, starting at 2 p.m. each day and remaining open until at least 10 p.m. 

Admission to the festival at the park is $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 11 and free for those age 5 or younger.

However, entry to the festival will be free before 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday. 

Since the 1950s, the Flower Festival has celebrated the community’s roots in an industry that created colorful fields of flowers attracting visitors. 

While fewer fields exist, and other crops fill the fields, some colorful displays can be found, typically west of the city. 

The nonprofit Lompoc Valley Festival Association and its army of volunteers spearhead planning for the event. 

For more information, a list of food vendors, schedules and more, go to the festival website at lompocvalleyfestivals.com, the Facebook page by clicking here or the Instagram page available here.