Every April, fields and fields of colorful tulips dazzle the eyes at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The backdrop to this vibrant display is the Cascade Mountain Range, which, together, creates a sight to behold and one that can only be experienced in Washington State.

Rows of Tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Photo by Lara Dunning

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs annually from late March through the end of April. During the month-long event, “hundreds of thousands” of visitors flock to the multicolored fields to take in their brilliance, snap photos, and purchase tulips to take home.

Red Tulips. Photo by Lara Dunning.

For over ten years, I’ve lived within 20 minutes of the Skagit Valley. The tulip fields, which are preceded by bright yellow daffodils, are a sight I never tire of seeing. Those colorful blooms shake loose the gray days of winter and announce to all that warm summer days are on the horizon.

Visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

There are plenty of ways to experience the tulips, and one of my favorite ways is to wander through the fields on my own. It’s a great way to get up close and personal with the bright blooms.

Wander through the Tulip Fields. Photo by Lara Dunning

While you can’t walk more than a few feet into a row, you’ll be able to walk around and past the vibrant fields that go from one shade to the next. A trip to the fields also means you’ll need a good pair of rain boots or waterproof shoes, as the fields are usually muddy, even on a sunny day.

Up Close with the Tulips. Photo by Lara Dunning

One thing you don’t want to forget is your camera. Rain or shine, the tulips offer a picturesque setting from every angle, and I’m sure many a Christmas photo has been snapped amongst the flowers. Paid parking lots are next to selected fields, so there is not much of a walk. There is also free roadside parking, but that fills up fast.

When friends and family come to visit, we head to the display gardens at RoozenGaarde or Tulip Town, as they turn an ordinary landscape into a magical display of imagination and creativity.

The Tulip Displays at RoozenGaarde. Photo courtesy Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Columbia Bank Photo Contest

A Visit to RoozenGaarde

For over thirty years, the Roozen family has been growing irises, daffodils, and tulips. In fact, their fields at RoozenGaarde, which total more than 1000 acres and 16 acres of greenhouses, are the largest in North America. Their five-acre show garden is a showstopper, featuring around 300,000 spring flowers, including 90 tulip varieties, as well as other spring favorites like daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and an authentic Dutch windmill. They are also an official sponsor of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and provide the RoozenGaarde Bloom Map, which provides information on all of the blooming fields in the Skagit Valley.

The Tulip Fields at Tulip Town. Photo courtesy Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Columbia Bank Photo Contest

Head to Tulip Town

For indoor and outdoor flower displays and kid-friendly activities, Tulip Town is the place to go. Children will love getting their faces painted, following fairies along the Dream Walk, and taking daily trolley rides through the fields. If you are a kid-at-heart, like me, the professional kite flying on the weekends will send your spirit soaring, and if you want to bring back some of the bright colors with you, there are plenty of artist booths to peruse. Be sure to spend some time at Tulip Town’s windmill, which was built by owner Tom De Goede, who used the blueprints of his village’s windmill in Holland. He is also the master planner of the gardens at the windmill scene.

A Visit to Tulip Town. Photo by Lara Dunning

Turn Your Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Adventure Into a Weekend

Throughout April, there are plenty of activities to add to your tulip adventures, like the US Bank Tulip Parade in La Conner, Burlington’s annual Tulip Run, and Art in a Pickle Barn in Mount Vernon.

For local produce, baked goods, and ice cream, my favorite nearby spots are Schuh Farms and Snow Goose Produce. For local wine and hard cider, the Tulip Valley Winery is closest to the fields. Be sure to sample their Red Barn Red and Tempranillo Rosé. For thrill-seekers who want to soar over the fields, there are helicopter tours with Bellingham Helicopter Services and Sky Flin’ Helicopter. I haven’t done that yet, but it is on my list!

If you decide to stay for the weekend, the neighboring towns of Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon, and La Conner have plenty of accommodations, like The Majestic Hotel & Spa in Anacortes, the La Conner Channel Lodge in La Conner,  and The Grand Willow Inn in Mount Vernon.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs each spring throughout the month of April and is an hour’s drive from Seattle, WA, and around a two-hour drive from Vancouver, B.C. The best place for tulip bloom information is the RoozenGaarde Bloom Map, and for activities and events, check out the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and Visit Skagit Valley.

Every April, fields of colorful tulips dazzle the eyes at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival against the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.