Vibrant Colors Welcome Spring to the Pacific Northwest
Every spring hundreds of thousands of people come to enjoy the celebration of spring as millions of tulips burst into bloom on hundreds of acres of farmland in the fertile Skagit Valley of Washington.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is one of the destination events for the entire Pacific Northwest, held from April 1-30 each year.
As with all things governed by Mother Nature, the tulips bloom according to their own schedule sometime during the festival, so check in to see how things are looking.
Traveling in March? No problem! You'll likely find fields of daffodils blooming as they are typically several weeks before the tulips.
Fortunately, the location of these amazing sites are within a few minutes of most travelers routes to the San Juan Islands in the Skagit Valley, just of Highway 20 near Mt. Vernon.
Check out the map below while planning your trip.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival - Fields of RoozenGaarde
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Map
Background on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival:
The festival, which was inaugurated over 30 years ago, is designed as a driving tour for visitors, which makes it perfect for visitors already heading to the San Juan Islands.
There is no one "site" that you go to during your visit. The fields of tulips are scattered throughout the Skagit Valley, as are the many events and activities that make up the festival.
The tulip fields are the crops of RoozenGaarde/Washington Bulb Co., Inc. and Tulip Town and the fields are different each year due to crop rotation.
Both RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town also have displays of tulips in gardens for visitors to view and photograph.
Bottom line: if you're driving through, you'd be crazy not to stop and experience this event.
If you're planning your trip to the San Juan Islands this spring, be sure to carve out some time for a visit - you won't be disappointed!
Enjoy your trip!
For more information on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, visit their website or Facebook Page.
www.tulipfestival.org
www.facebook.com/SkagitValleyTulipFestival
This post was originally written in March 2016, but is updated each year for current information.