The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival starts to come into full swing near the end of March and beginning of April each year depending on how warm our season has been. We’ve gone to see the tulips nearly every year that I’ve lived in Bellingham and we aren’t the only ones who make an annual visit to the fields! Anywhere from 500,000 to a million visitors come out to see these beautiful flowers each year. Skagit Valley produces more tulip, iris and daffodil bulbs than any other county in the US and they are spread all across more than 90,000 acres of land! As you’re driving through Skagit (or flying overhead!) you’ll see color as far as the eye can see around almost every corner. Below are a few tips based off of our experiences in the past!
- There are several main tulip gardens that are curated, walkable and designed for visitors: Tulip Town and Roozengaarde are the most well known and Roozengaarde has been around the longest! Each location costs anywhere from $10-20/person depending on age and which location. Both gardens offer stands to buy fresh cut tulips, bulbs, gifts and purposefully planted gardens with signs showing off all the different types of flowers plus open fields you can walk the perimeter of, although walking through the fields is not allowed. I personally prefer the displays at Roozengaarde and this is typically where I recommend to clients.
- Be sure to check the Bloom Map!!! This will tell you exactly what and where things are in bloom so you don’t waste your time getting to the valley to find flowers haven’t sprung yet!
- If it’s possible for you to attend the event on a weekday- you will thank yourself! The weekends, especially if weather is nice, are INCREDIBLY busy. Weekday mornings are the sweet spot for some moments alone in the flowers. I recommend getting these right as the gates are opening!
- Bring an umbrella and wear boots! We’ve been caught in the rain at the gardens and the flowers are just as marvelous in the rain, but you’ll want to be prepared. The fields are muddy and with the number of people visiting the paths can become quite muddy as well. Be ready!
- Many clients inquire about doing photos in the tulip fields and the rules around this change yearly. Sometimes they require a signed contract and additional fee and other years they have been fine with professional photos in the fields at no cost. No matter the situation, people are never allowed to walk down the aisles of the tulips, so all photos must be taken in front of or beside the flowers. If you’re interested in a tulip session, please contact me to talk details and I can walk you through the current year’s rules!
- You will find tons of flowers along various roadways and many of them say “Private Property.” Please be respectful of these farmers and their property! For many of them, this is a main source of their income and they don’t appreciate people impeding on their crops.
- Some of the fields along the road aren’t marked and there is ample parking. Remember! Don’t walk through the fields!
Most importantly, ENJOY! The fields are truly marvelous and one of my favorite spring activities in our area! All photos below are taken by me in the Roozengaarde fields and gardens and can be found in the Print Shop to have something printed for your home on canvas, metal or lustre paper!
