As long as we’ve lived in Rochester, we’ve trekked through Highland Park at least once during the last few weeks in May. If we’re early, the highlights may be the magnolias, the pansies, and the Poet’s Garden. Closer to Memorial Day, azaleas, rhododendron, and tree peonies play the starring roles. But the big attraction is the collection of about 1,200 lilac shrubs comprised of 500 varieties, some hybridized here by our parks department, arrayed throughout the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed park. Perhaps we should acknowledge that the lilacs themselves used to be the main event; however, now the hundreds of thousands of visitors must run the gauntlet of vendors, carnival food booths, and local and imported entertainment between the main parking areas and the gardens. I bet some people never make it to the slopes to breathe in the fragrance and examine the differences among the varieties of our signature flower. We just time our visits to bypass all this hoopla and enjoy the real Highland Park.