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With the Live Oak Music Festival passing by, it might seem that people in Santa Barbara County looking to enjoy an outdoor music festival will have to take a road trip, but the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival has proved that notion wrong. The Flower Festival is a five-day event that, if it weren’t for the multitude of attractions and activities, you would think is a summer outdoor music festival.

We have nonstop musical entertainment from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. almost every day except Sunday which is said Cecilia Walker, office manager of the Lompoc Valley Festival Association, “We have professional sound techs and professional lighting coming in, so it is very well done.

The Flower Festival follows the fun and familiar fair format featuring carnival rides a parade, arts and crafts booths, food booths, commercial booths, and a beer and wine garden. The festival was first celebrated 60 years ago to the year in celebration of the flower harvest in Lompoc.Its kind of historic; Burpee seeds used to have their headquarters here Walker said. It’s no longer the case, but in the historic tradition, we still call it the Flower Festival.The festivals title this year is “60 Years of California Dreaming and it will be taking place at its usual location, the large and beautiful Ryon Memorial Park located at the corner of West Ocean Avenue and South O Street in Lompoc.   

Wednesday, June 20, is Community Appreciation Day which features free admission admission being on all the subsequent days of the festival. The festivities kick off at noon with a welcome address followed by a performance by members of The Voice Studio Dan Petrys Karaoke Showcase is from  followed by the acoustic pop music of Kailey and Phoenix. More dance performances by the Boscutti Ballet Theatre and Just Dance Lompoc are scheduled before the opening ceremony from 6 to 6:15. The youthful funk and jazz band Soulmates performs the beginning of the evening with local group Hard Times playing rock and roll and oldies.