ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When you see this iconic flower, you know the Rochester Lilac Festival is in full bloom.

“We have the largest collections of lilacs in North America right here in Rochester,” success mentor Dante J. Worth said.

Worth has been coming to the festival since he was a kid.

“I grew up here in Rochester and went to school right down the street,” Worth said.

The annual event brings out more than 500,000 people from all parts of Rochester and beyond.

Worth is now one of the faces of the festival, and says it’s just one way he connects with the community.

“Community work has always been a passion of mine,” he said. “I try to plug into those areas and do what I can.”

The author and life coach never misses a chance to reconnect with the people that make the festival so vibrant.

Like gate attendant Uncle Phil, who’s been directing festival traffic with smile for over 36 years.

“I don’t know who they are, but they say ‘Uncle Phil, we love you,’ and I say back, ‘I love you more,’” he said.

As the Rochester community looks to recover from damage caused by the pandemic and address concerns surrounding violence Dante says the festival reminds him there’s hope.

“It helps me reignite the hope that there is brighter day for us and there will be more jobs in the city, [and] more opportunities in the city than what we see in TV,” Worth said.