Spring may officially start in March, but for a lot of people around Seattle, it doesn’t really feel like spring until the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival begins in Mount Vernon.
For more than 40 years, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has served as an annual rite of spring in Western Washington. The festival runs from April 1 through April 30 each year. But Mother Nature decides when the tulips are in full bloom. That means the peak time to visit changes from year to year. To find out how the fields are currently looking, check out this handy bloom map.
Tulips are obviously the highlight of the festival, but there are fields full of daffodils and irises to enjoy as well. The RoozenGaarde display garden also features several different varieties of tulips, hyacinths, and “flowing rivers of blue muscari.” It’s a must-visit on your trip to the festival.
Visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
When it comes to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, we’re not just talking about a few flowers here and there: tulips are everywhere. There are row after row after row of flowers across more than 300 acres of fields. It’s not just a one-stop trip either (unless you really want it to be). You can drive from field to field, looking at all the different flowers.
According to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival website, the event reels in more than one million visitors a year. There’s a really good reason for that: it’s beautiful and affordable. Admission and parking vary by garden, so check current information before you go.
There’s also plenty to explore beyond the flowers. You can spend time in Mount Vernon, Burlington, La Conner, Anacortes, and other nearby towns and cities, or check the official festival calendar for current events happening during your visit.
A Favorite Spring Tradition
The festival is a unique and fun way to celebrate spring in the Northwest. You can spend a couple of hours strolling through the fields or make it a full weekend experience. It’s totally up to you. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. It’s well worth a trip up north.
And if you want a glimpse at a different side of the festival, go with us behind the scenes at RoozenGaarde to see how tulips go from the fields to fresh-cut flowers.
RELATED POSTS
Cherry Blossoms at the University of Washington
Trolley Hill Park: Seattle P-Patch & Much More
Parsons Garden on Queen Anne in Seattle
