Tulips are my favorite flower and it’s something I must have inherited from my grandmother. Being from South Florida I’ve never seen tulips outside of the floral section of the grocery store and seeing fields of tulips has always been on my bucket list. As a matter of fact, since the summer day that I moved to Seattle I was anxiously anticipating the start of spring just to see the blooms. I know that sounds crazy considering that the rainy season is in between those two seasons, but I just couldn’t wait to attend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This festival takes place in Mt. Vernon, Washington every April (check the bloom map to see when is the best time to go) and its purpose is to celebrate spring, while also advocating for Skagit Valley agriculture.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Day Trip From Seattle
The hubby and I headed out towards Mt. Vernon early on a Sunday morning filled with excitement to see the tulips in full bloom. The drive from Seattle to the tulip festival is short and sweet, and only took just over an hour to get there. It’s a scenic ride that gives you a peak at the diverse natural beauty that Washington has to offer. We headed out early because I had heard that weekends are busy at the tulip festival and considering that it was a beautiful sunny day, I expected it to be extra packed.
There are two main gardens at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town. Although, the whole town participates in the festival with plenty of other things to see, do, and eat in the area. In fact, the day we went there was a cool art show going on. The best thing you can do is take a map and check out the events/attractions before you go.
Tulip Town
We made it to the entrance of Tulip Town by 10 a.m. (they open at 9 a.m.) and the parking lot was already packed. There was a line at the admission booth, but to my surprise, it wasn’t as packed as I thought, but it was definitely steady.
I was excepting to just see fields of flowers, but there’s much more to see and do there than walking through the fields of tulips. In fact, there is an indoor and outdoor section.
The indoor section features gorgeous displays of flourishing blooms that include tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. There is a stunning 110′ painted mural with scenes from Skagit Valley behind the displays and the day we attend we saw artist Jennifer Bowman working her brushes on the mural. There is also an area where you can buy tulip-inspired artwork, along with a stand where you can purchase fresh-cut tulips to take home and order your own bulbs.
In the outdoor area, you will find breath-taking fields of vibrant tulips. This was my favorite part because I felt like I was walking through the scenes of a postcard. There were tulips of all kinds of colors, including color combinations I had never seen before. Pink. Yellow. Orange. You name it. The icing on the Hallmark view was the red barn with the cascade mountains in the backdrop.
In this area you can also see the Veterans Memorial Garden, the World Tulip Summit Society Garden, and the windmill garden with pond. These displays are whimsical and filled with unusual tulip varieties and plenty of photo opportunities. Although, good luck getting a picture-perfect shot because it’s a VERY popular area for family photos and selfies.
Something I didn’t do in the outdoor area, but plan to do next time is take a trolley ride. The trolley gives you an elevated view of the fields and I’m assuming more information about the farm.
Tulip Town Visitor’s Information
Address: 15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon
Phone: (360) 424-8152
Hours: April hours daily 9 am – 5 pm. Later if weather permits.
Admission: $7 per adult Children 5 and under free. (Cash only). Free parking.
GiGi Eats says
TULIPS ARE STUNNING and literally EVERY SINGLE ONE of those flowers are PERFECT! What a beautiful festival !!
Sahily says
Isn’t it lovely? One of the best experiences I’ve had in the Seattle area.
Kat Brancato says
This is now on my bucket list! Your pictures are beautiful 🙂