- Layer your clothes. It could rain, be somewhat windy, or be sunny. Maybe even hail. All of those things occurred while we were at the tulip festival, so it’s best to be ready.
- Get the day going early. Arrive early, preferably before 10am, to escape the crowds in Roozengarde and Tulip Town. Even better, consider going on a weekday!
- Make your visit to the Mount Vernon region enjoyable! From Seattle or Vancouver, take a day trip; it’s certainly close enough! Discover La Conner, Mount Vernon, and the tulip fields.
- There are helicopter tours available if you have the money. We noticed a handful of them flying around while we were in the fields. These trips take you on a flight above the tulip fields. Since it was so lovely to be in the fields and see the tulips up close, we didn’t feel it was necessary.
- There are always open tulip fields. However, Tulip Town and the Roozengarde Display Garden have set hours and an admission fee.
- It may rely on the weather to visit the fields because a lot of rain could cause them to close.
- Please abide by the flaggers’ instructions when parking in the designated areas. While some locals do provide parking on their own property, entrance to the exhibition gardens is not one of them.
- Both display gardens offer gift stores where you may buy a variety of tulip-related items, including fresh cut tulips and bulbs, if you enjoy shopping.
When will the Skagit Valley be covered in tulips?
Our newest tulip garden is called Garden Rosalyn. Enjoy the expansive tulip garden with its beautiful arrangements. Enjoy the nearby food trucks and picnic tables. Dogs on leashes who behave well are welcome! Children under the age of five can enter for free. Parking is uncharged. Garden Rosalyn may be found in Mount Vernon, Washington, at 16648 Jungquist Rd. They can be reached at 360-202-7982.
Do the tulips have blooms yet? What time of year is ideal for seeing tulips? Mother Nature determines the precise dates that tulips blossom. For updates, check out the Bloom Map and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. The entire month of April is devoted to the Tulip Festival. On weekdays, early morning and late afternoon are the least crowded times. The weekend is busy. Booking a Lodging Option in Skagit Valley and passing by the fields in the early morning or late afternoon will give you the finest experience.
A: Every year, from April 1 to 30, the Tulip Festival is celebrated. However, when the tulips blossom is decided by mother nature. Tulips can bloom in the last week of March in some years and the second week of April in other years. Additionally, there are tulip variants that bloom sooner and later. The first daffodil blossoms in March are celebrated at the La Conner Daffodil Festival.
A: I’d want to begin making travel arrangements for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.
A calendar of events where? A: In January, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival brochure will be available. Here are links to download and view: Brochure for the 2022 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
A: Observing the fields from the road is free, but for information on admission for Tulip Town and Roozengaarde, check above.
A: You can always see the tulip fields! However, Tulip Town is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily during the Tulip Festival, and the RoozenGaarde display garden is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Are children welcome at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival? Are there children’s activities or events?
A: Yes, please see our list of tours for the tulip festival. Check out our other Skagit Trips options, such as our whale viewing and Deception Pass boat tours, if you appreciate tours. Check out our self-guided tour maps, which include Heritage Barns, Skagit Valley Culinary Bounty, and a Walking Trail Guide, if you’d want to venture outside the tulip world. Interested in more? Check out Skagit County’s Things To Do.
A: Can we ride our bikes on the fields, and are there any bike trails nearby?
Yes! Nearly every road has a shoulder to ride on and is beautiful and flat among the tulip fields. For routes, consult the Skagit County Bike Map.
A: The roads leading up to the fields will have signage prohibiting parking. Please use a parking area for safety reasons.
A: Dogs and other animals are not permitted in the fields or show gardens. The newest Tulip Garden is an exception. Dogs on leashes that behave nicely are welcome in Garden Rosalyn.
A: From Seattle, take I-5 North, and from Vancouver, BC, take I-5 South. Use the Tulip Festival map to choose your exit based on where you want to go and which fields you want to see. From I-5, you will be traveling west.
I’m a Canadian.
Can we re-enter the border with cut flowers? How about lightbulbs?
A: You are welcome to place cut tulip flowers along the border. However, because they are in the ground, bulbs cannot be purchased during the tulip festival, but they can be delivered to Canada in the fall.
What are Show Gardens, exactly? A: You really must go to both RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town! The grounds have more than a million spring bulbs planted. Both have an admission fee; however, Tulip Town tickets cannot be used at RoozenGaarde and vice versa. The gardens are off-limits to pets.
Since the early 1900s, tulips from the Skagit Valley have been grown here. Currently, the Washington Bulb Co., Inc/RoozenGaarde grows “field tulips.” The timing of the field tulips’ blooming is dependent on the weather in April. Visit our Facebook sites, phone the Tulip Festival office at 360.428.5959, or the BLOOM MAP to check on the status of the bloom. You will require a fresh map every year because tulip crops rotate.
A: The two gardens, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town, offer free parking. Bradshaw Road has parking for Tulip Town. Beaver Marsh Road’s RoozenGaarde. On busy days, both feature overflow parking; flaggers will direct you. A few of the tulip fields are serviced by official, paid parking run by RoozenGaarde. Your official pay lot ticket stub is good for one entry to RoozenGaarde, and parking in designated lots is included with paid RoozenGaarde admission (display your ticket stub). Parking and admission must take place on the same day. Please take note that lots near the fields may close if it rains too much.
Some landowners impose parking fees. You cannot purchase entrance or additional parking with the money you pay.
Can I bring my drone to the festival of tulips? A: No, drones are not permitted in the fields or gardens.
I’m a seasoned photographer.
Do I have to give RoozenGaarde credit if I publish images of the exhibition fields or garden? Yes, please sign and send the Tulip Festival Photo Release Form to the Roozengaarde (Washington Bulb Co.) office.
A: I drive a tour bus.
Do I have to complete a reservation form to park my bus? A: Fill out the Tulip Festival Bus Reservation Form if you would.
Where can I find Skagit tulips?
The greatest tulip fields in North America are found in Skagit Valley, which is a region of northwest Washington. Being only 60 miles north of Seattle and close to Interstate 5 makes the region accessible. Only 70 miles separate Skagit Valley from Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s the ideal location for both a day trip and a longer stay. Additionally, the closest town, Mount Vernon, is served by the Amtrak Cascades train service.
Where are the Skagit Valley Tulips located?
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Part of me mourned that I was even further away from the Dutch tulip fields when I relocated to the Pacific Northwest from London. Imagine my astonishment when I discovered that the Skagit Valley’s fields bloom into a technicolor tulip quilt every April, 90 minutes north of Seattle.
The Skagit Valley, one of Washington’s top tulip-producing regions, has a distinctive microclimate similar to that of Woodinville, where wine is made. Some of the most stunning tulip displays you will find in the United States are cultivated thanks to a temperate environment, mild winters, and enough of rain.
You’re not the only one who wants to go to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. As you might anticipate, this well-known flower festival frequently draws large people in 2022, but things will work a little differently this year. Continue reading to find out more about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in 2022, how to get there, and other helpful planning advice.
This article was updated in April 2022 after being first published in June 2014. Prices, schedules, and connections for the 2022 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival should be correct.
Tulips are in bloom in Skagit Valley?
MOUNT VERON, Washington The Skagit Valley is once again covered with stunning fields of vibrant tulips and daffodils, signaling the arrival of spring in western Washington.
After the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival went virtual in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, this is the second year that guests are let back onto the fields for the festival.
The festival attracts visitors from all 50 states as well as more than 85 other nations in a “typical year,” according to the festival website.
You should be aware of the following before attending the annual event:
What time of day is ideal for seeing tulips?
The Skagit Valley’s tulips and daffodils in bloom are among the most beautiful sights to behold in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest. The best time to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and other helpful information are provided below. These are some of the things I discovered after attending the event during the course of my many years spent residing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Best Time to Visit Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
The finest blooming period in recent years has been the first three weeks of April, however this fluctuates from year to year.
Although the winter of 2018 was warm and daffodils began to bloom by the middle of March, the second half of March was chilly, which postponed the tulip blossoms. The final three weeks of April in 2018 were the best for tulip blossoms. The blossoms in 2019 came a little later because February was frigid and covered with snow.
It’s preferable to go mid-week because of the heavy traffic (we’ll talk about how to avoid it later).
Additionally, I advise going in the morning. When you get there, you can photograph the vast fields in the early morning light before moving on to one of the major tulip gardens in time for its 9am opening.
Alternatively, you may go on a hike in Deception Point State Park and visit the tulips in the late afternoon (keep in mind the 5pm garden closure time). Then you can stay until sunset and explore the free tulip fields. Some of my favorite images of tulips were taken around dusk.
What to See
The two main locations to see tulips are Roozengaard and Tulip Town. Both locations debut on March 30th of this year. These locations charge admission and offer large parking spaces where visitors may view the greatest, most colorful tulips as well as exhibits, windmills, gardens, and activities. You can enter as many images as you’d like in this section (leave your drones at home). There used to be another field on Young Road with wonderful colors and a reasonable parking cost. The best site to see free tulips is on Coleman Road, where there are a few modest parking spaces and a wide road shoulder, but the only colors available are red, purple, and yellow. Bring your camera because you’ll want to capture the Skagit Valley tulip fields on camera.
Avoiding Traffic
BAD, BAD, BAD TRAFFIC. particularly if you go on a weekend. Numerous thousands of vehicles are looking for parking so they can admire the stunning flowers. Keep in mind that the main parking lots only allow entry from the north because they are on the west side of the road and no left turns are permitted. This applies to both Tulip Town and Roozengaard. There will be a line of automobiles waiting to enter these locations if you see one. If you’re just wanting to get around, avoid driving southbound on Bradshaw or Beaver Marsh Roads since you’ll get caught in these traffic jams. Waiting an hour to travel a mile is not unheard of.
On the two-lane Fir Island Road, there is yet another major backup when leaving to head back to Seattle. Everyone recognizes that location on the map and correctly deduces that it is the shortest route to Seattle, but it is not the fastest. I advise you to either find something else to do (see “Other Stuff to Do below”), wait till the traffic thins down, or use the 4-lane route north to Highway 20 in order to connect to the Interstate.
Bring Your Bike
Cycling is a terrific way to explore the region. Because of how flat the roads are in this area, it reminds some people of the Netherlands. If you do commute by bike, think about doing it throughout the week and pay attention to the traffic.
Other Stuff to Do
In addition to the tulips, there are a lot of other things to do here. Within a 20-mile radius, there are locations like:
- Wineries
- Gardens/Nurseries
- Vintage stores
- Farms (Alpaca, pigs, etc)
- State Recreation Area in the North. Visit this park east of Sedro Woolley to take some short nature hikes and see the farm’s abandoned structures from the former Northern State mental hospital.