This weekend, Leelanau will start putting on its bloomers.

Declared by many as the prettiest time of year in Leelanau County, sweet cherry trees in Elmwood and Bingham townships should be showing their blossoms this weekend just as sunny skies and moderate temperatures are predicted.

While still revered by visitors, residents and especially cherry farmers, there was a time when Leelanau rolled out the red carpet as its cherry trees were turning white. The Leelanau County Blossom Tour was begun in 1948 by members of the Leelanau Horticultural Society. The tour was still growing in popularity when an announcement was published in the May 1, 1952 Leelanau Enterprise.

"Preliminary plans for this year's tour include the posting of route markers to guide out-of-county visitors, a conducted tour of orchards for local growers, a basket picnic and brief program in one of the county parks," the announcement read.

But what about the date of the tour — May 18? In recent years, blossom tours that late in spring would be largely restricted to apple orchards, which bloom after cherries.

"Peak blossom has moved forward about 7-8 days" when compared to 30 years ago, confirms former Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center director Jim Nugent. While reluctant to connect the bloom date change to the general category of "global warming," Nugent is certain that cherry trees are blooming earlier than in the 1970s.

"That doesn't prove global warming," said Nugent. "But there has been a warming of our region during that period."

More evidence can be found from the Enterprise article of 55 years ago, which stated that past dates for the blossom tour varied from May 14 to June 4.

By June in recent years, cherry flower pedals have fallen and blown away.

Pinpointing when the change began to occur, Nugent continued, would be difficult as accurate records only exist for relatively recent years. The county agricultural community began relying on cherries over potatoes early in the 20th century, but didn't begin planting cherry trees in earnest until after World War II — about the time the Cherry Blossom Tour began.

Regardless of when it occurs, Nugent gets as big a thrill during blossom time as he did when county Extension Director starting in 1976.

"I love cherry blossoms. They just make such big, beautiful snowballs," he said.

Fellow spring snowball lovers will want to start peering into orchards in the southern part of Leelanau County this weekend, when Nugent expects sweet cherry trees to show their finest. Peak bloom moves slowly through the Leelanau Peninsula to north of Northport over the course of 7-10 days, he said.

A week or so after sweet cherries bloom, tart cherries will follow — allowing a diligent bloom follower to keep busy for about three weeks in Leelanau County alone. We're still a ways from what is referred to as "peak blossom" as approximately 60 percent of Leelanau's cherry orchards are planted in tarts.

While sweet cherry buds suffered damage during frosts in early April, Nugent said even those buds will blossom. Now farmers are hoping for temperatures in the 60s to aid pollination and help set a healthy crop.

One member of that 1952 committee overseeing the cherry blossom tour was Elmwood Township farmer John Stanek, who is remembered today by his grandson John D. Stanek.

"He was 83 when I lost him. He was a very hard-working farmer, and he lent a hand to all the area farmers who needed help with his services or his team of horses," said Stanek.

Although the original Stanek farm has largely been sold, Stanek said some acreage remains in agriculture as a vineyard and as an apple orchard. He remembers seeing cherries bloom in mid May while growing up.

Like Nugent, however, the time of the event takes a back seat to the event itself.

"Blossom time is my favorite time of year," said Stanek.

That time is now.