Beauty in Bloom! Top U.S. Tulip Festivals to Bedazzle You Joseph Decibus March 16, 2018 Interests, Top US Destinations This post was last updated on July 7, 2023. Welcome to the ultimate guide to tulip festivals and gardens in the USA! If you’re a flower enthusiast or simply appreciate the beauty of nature, this comprehensive guide will take you on a journey through the vibrant world of tulips. From renowned festivals to breathtaking gardens, we’ll explore the top destinations where you can immerse yourself in a sea of colorful blooms. Get ready to be captivated by the enchanting tulip festivals and gardens across the United States. Tulip festivals and gardens in the USA offer a feast for the senses, immersing visitors in the breathtaking beauty of these iconic flowers. From the dazzling displays of tulips to the lively festivities, these destinations provide an enchanting experience for flower enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Whether you choose to visit a tulip festival in San Diego, explore the tulip gardens of Woodburn, or immerse yourself in the Dutch heritage of Pella, you’re sure to create cherished memories surrounded by the vibrant colors and fragrant blooms of tulips. So, pack your camera, embrace the renewal of nature, and embark on a floral adventure to witness the splendor of tulips in the USA. Discover the best place to see tulips, explore the largest tulip farms, and indulge in the joy of spring at a tulip festival near you. Let the enchantment of tulips captivate your senses and bring you closer to the beauty of nature. Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm — Woodburn, Oregon [Image “Outstand in the field” by Kirt Edblom on Flickr – licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.]Each year, the Iverson family hosts a charming tulip festival on their Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, which is located in Woodburn, Oregon. It’s their way of inviting people to “…enjoy all things that make spring in the northwest.” This beautiful farm is home to 40 acres of tulips! That’s a huge tulip party, especially when you consider that an acre is about the size of an NFL football field! It’s so beautiful that families return year after year, whether they’re driving up from nearby, or decide to book flights in March just to see the beautiful blooms. Clearly, the stunning tulip bloom on the Iverson farm is an important part of what makes spring in the Northwestern United States. Just put yourself in a pair of their Dutch clogs for a moment. Imagine you’re standing there, probably in cold mud, in the midst of 40 acres of blazing tulips. Wherever you turn, you’re entranced by the brilliant bloom; you’re drunk on the crisp Woodburn air, honeyed as it is with the scent of tulips. Fortunately, you can hang onto the sight of a nearby windmill, which anchors the dizzying, color-crazed landscape. And in the background, Mt. Hood sits big like Buddha, serene and reserved beyond the resplendent scene. There are times in your travels when you happen upon a place where you just have to say: “This is one of the loveliest areas on the planet.” And, this will definitely be one of them. [Image above “2019 Wooden Tulip Shoe Festival” by Rick Obst on Flickr – licensed under CC by 2.0.]While taking in the tulips will be the highlight of your day, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest offers a variety of other activities as well. You can have a picnic in Wooden Shoe Gardens, which has plenty of flowers but no tulips. You can sample the wine in the Wooden Shoe Vineyards tasting room. You can also take a cow wagon ride, set your kids free in the play area, see the wooden shoes being made (weekends only), shop for gifts, or float away in a hot air balloon. See the list of admission prices on the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm website. Activities often have separate fees. Also, check their latest field report for the status of the bloom before you go. You may also enjoy: 5 of the Best, Blooming Gardens to Bring in Spring! Skagit Valley Tulip Festival — Washington State [Image above “Tulips” by David Doan on Flickr – licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.]The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington has got to be on every tulip lover’s radar. Like a lot of good things, it began as a kind of grassroots movement (wink). Some time ago, a bunch of people started making pilgrimages each spring to the private working farms in Skagit Valley to see the spectacular blooms of daffodils and tulips. Noticing this, the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce decided to add entertainment and activities around the time of the tulip bloom, which was formalized as a tulip festival in 1984. Today, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the farms and festival activities, bringing millions of dollars in revenue to Skagit County. To get your fill of tulips and then some, there are two farms that you must visit. Go to Tulip Town to view the beautiful display gardens. You can also visit the big tulip garden at RoozenGaarde, which is owned by the Washington Bulb Company, one of the largest tulip bulb growers in the United States. After strolling through the beautiful gardens, take a trolley ride through their nearby tulip fields. (Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to walk through the fields here.) Image above “Garden of Color” by Steve Cyr on Flickr – licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. The RoozenGaarde display garden is huge, covering five acres of farmland with the blooms 1 million hand-planted tulip bulbs. It boasts over 100 varieties of tulips laid out in intricate designs, and you can wander among them along paths. It’s a garden fit for royalty. This farm also offers a 25-acre tulip field and a 25-acre daffodil field nearby its garden. (The daffodils bloom in March, before the tulips; but if you’re lucky, you might catch a bit of bloom overlap.) After taking in the garden, you can walk into the nearby fields; or, you can drive out to their many other fields in the valley. RoozenGaarde has about 1,000 acres of blooms in the valley, most of which are tulips. (The tulips are harvested twice each year: once in the spring for their flowers and then again in the fall for their bulbs.) Before driving out to the fields though, consult their bloom map, which indicates each field that’s in bloom with a colored tulip. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival organization schedules and coordinates a number of events and activities throughout the valley in April to celebrate the bloom. Many of them occur in the city of Mount Vernon where the festival organization also maintains its office, but others occur in Anacortes, Burlington, and La Conner. It’s all a bit decentralized. Other popular activities or places to visit here include the Skagit Farm to Pint Festival, basketball tournaments, photo contests, and petting farms See the admission prices for these farms on the tulip festival’s website. Other activities may have their own fees. Check the RoozenGaarde bloom map for updates on the bloom before you go. Tulip Time Festival — Holland, Michigan [Image above “DSC04891” by Rachel Kramer on Flickr – licensed under CC by 2.0].The origin of the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan goes back as far as 1929 when the Dutch settlers of this city planted the first crop of about 100,000 tulip bulbs, which they brought from their native Netherlands. Currently, this festival spreads throughout this picturesque city on Lake Macatawa. The festival features six million tulips, which you’ll find tulips popping up in fields, parks, household gardens, and in tulip lanes along as many as six miles of Holland’s streets. Some of the most popular viewing spots in the area include Nelis’ Dutch Village. This replica of a Netherlands village is run by the third generation of the Nelis family. You can stroll among its buildings of authentic Dutch architecture, canals, and splendid gardens. There’s shopping, dining, and many activities for children such as a petting zoo. About 25,000 tulip bulbs bloom here each spring. You’ll want to visit on a day when their park is open. See the price of admission on their website. You also might be interested in stopping by Window on the Waterfront, a peaceful, multi-use, 36-acre municipal park on the south edge of the Macatawa marsh that contributes about 100,000 tulips to Holland’s massive bloom. And, you can tiptoe through them down to the paved pathway along the marsh where you can spot waterfowl. From there, you can also see the DeZwaan windmill, which is on Windmill Island Gardens, and take pictures through a window frame. See the price of admission here. [Image above “Veldheer Tulip Gardens” by Rachel Kramer on Flickr – licensed under CC by 2.0.]Finally, there’s Veldheer’s Tulip Gardens, which boasts about five million tulips and has many other flowers as well. Veldheer’s also breeds bison and sells bison meat. Delftware and Dutch clogs are also on sale. See the price of admission on their website. At Tulip Time, there’s a whole host of activities going on all over Holland, Michigan in celebration of its Dutch heritage. There are concerts, carnivals, Dutch dancing, parades, art exhibits, tulip tours, painting parties, Dutch food, artisan markets, and much more. See the schedule of events for all of the details. Other Places to Tiptoe Through the Tulips There are several other tulip festivals in the U.S. You might also consider visiting the Dallas Blooms Tulip Show at the Dallas Arboretum which boasts nearly 500,000 tulips, cooking classes, and live entertainment. Or, you could check out the Albany Tulip Festival in Albany, New York with events like the Royal Tulip Ball and more. Here’s some of our sage advice for seeing a tulip festival. Try to visit on a weekday. Keep in mind though that while the viewing will be more peaceful, you won’t be able to do certain activities that are only offered on weekends. Be sure to wear casual clothing and a good pair of boots. The fields and farms you’ll be visiting can be quite muddy. Also, consider staying in a hotel for at least one night near the festival of your choice. This will give you a good chance to get into the fields early in the morning, an optimal time for viewing the lovely bloom. Also, a word of warning. Farmers manage the tulip farms, festival organizations determine the entertainment, but, only nature decides when the tulips will bloom. Generally speaking, tulips reach peak bloom in mid-April in some parts of North America and in early May in other parts. Use the tulip tracking services of the festivals, or call them to keep on top of the bloom. If you miss the peak though, it’s not the end of the world as these festivals are packed with fun activities and are located in beautiful areas of the country where there are many other ways to get your fill of nature. So, remember to include other nature outings in your plans. FAQs: Q: When is the best time to visit a tulip festival in the USA? A: The timing of tulip festivals varies depending on the region and climate. Generally, tulip festivals in the USA are held in the spring, typically between March and May. However, it’s best to check the specific festival’s website or contact the organizers for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the bloom season. Q: Can I buy tulips at the tulip festivals? A: Many tulip festivals offer the opportunity to purchase tulips directly from the farms or vendors on-site. Some festivals even allow visitors to pick their own tulips from designated areas. However, availability may vary depending on the festival and the specific day of your visit. It’s advisable to check the festival’s guidelines or inquire about purchasing options beforehand. Q: Are there any special activities or events at tulip festivals? A: Tulip festivals often include a wide range of activities and events to enhance the visitor experience. These may include parades, live music performances, art exhibits, food vendors, gardening demonstrations, children’s activities, and more. Each festival has its own unique lineup of events, so be sure to check the festival’s schedule to plan your visit accordingly. Q: Do I need to buy tickets to attend a tulip festival? A: Ticket requirements vary among tulip festivals. Some festivals offer free admission, while others may require the purchase of tickets. Additionally, certain activities or attractions within the festival grounds may have separate ticket fees. It’s recommended to check the festival’s website for ticket information and to purchase tickets in advance, if required, to secure your entry. Q: Can I bring my pet to a tulip festival or garden? A: Pet policies vary from festival to festival and garden to garden. While some may allow pets on a leash, others may have restrictions or prohibit pets altogether. It’s crucial to review the festival or garden’s guidelines regarding pet attendance before visiting. If you’re unable to bring your pet, consider arranging for their care with a trusted pet sitter or boarding facility. Q: How long do tulip festivals typically last? A: Tulip festivals can range in duration from a few days to several weeks, depending on the festival and the bloom season of the tulips. Some festivals may have specific opening and closing dates, while others may extend throughout the tulip blooming period. It’s advisable to check the festival’s schedule for precise dates and plan your visit accordingly. What’s your favorite festival for bringing in spring? Let us know in the comments below.
