Last season we headed to the Largest Tulip Festival in North America. The Skagit Valley Festival runs through the month of April in the Pacific Northwest, starting from when mother nature produces the first blooms. Last season we went on the 15th of April due to a late spring, however the festival usually begins around the first of April. As a kid I remember going to one of the very first festivals with my parents, the festival has certainly grown since the 80's but is no less beautiful.

The festival in its current form, begun in 1984 but that is not when the real story began. Tulip growing in Washington began in the San Juan Islands when George Gibbs, an English immigrant to Orcas Island, discovered the bulb growing magic of Washington in 1899. He coordinated with the Dutch and US Dept of Agriculture and began a 15,000-bulb experiment in Bellingham in 1905. The experiment was so successful that the USDA started their own 10-acre test garden in 1908.

The Tulip Festival, in its first form, began in Bellingham in 1920. The founders wanted to display to the world the newfound success of the bulb industry in Washington. Unfortunately, by 1930 it was discontinued due to the great depression and three very hard freezes.

Undaunted the growers moved farther south to Skagit County and in 1946 William Roozen arrived in the US and started his own farm in 1950. Mr. Roozen was so successful that in 1955 he purchased the Washington Bulb Company, making Washington the leading grower of Tulips in North America.

Finally in 1984 the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce established the Skagit Valley Festival to celebrate the bloom month of the colorful bulbs. As the largest festival in Washington, the Tulip fields see over one million visitors, so expect long lines and pay to park when visiting any of the farms.

What you need to know before going to the festival. Although there are multiple farms to choose from, our favorite farm is the 50 Acre Roozengaarde display. Other farms include DeGoede’s, Tulip Town, Garden Rosalyn, and Tulips Valley Farms, which although a bit smaller are slightly less crowded. You will want to visit the restroom and grab a bite to eat before heading to Mt. Vernon during the festival as the traffic is quite heavy around the festival. Expect to pay for parking rather it be at one of the gardens or neighboring homes. Once parked and through the main gates of Roozengaarde there are no lines to walk through the Tulip fields but expect to wait in long lines for the concessions and photo spots. Plan to spend most of the day traveling to the festival, parking, and driving home if you live south of Seattle or on the Peninsula. The start of the festival is currently set for April 1st, 2024, but be sure to check the website for more updates.

Roozengaarde: https://www.tulips.com/

Information credit:

www.tulips.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagit_Valley_Tulip_Festival