The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is the largest tulip festival in Northwest Washington State. It is held from April 1-30 at Mt. Vernon celebrating millions of tulips bursting into bloom. Each year more than 1 million visitors come to see over 300 acres of brightly colored tulips.
There is no specific lane to enter the festival as millions of tulips and daffodils are scattered across multiple fields throughout the Skagit Valley. Just enter ‘Skagit Valley Tulip Festival’ in your map follow it, you will be able to see the fields while driving close to the location. The festival is designed as a driving tour as the fields are in different locations each year due to crop rotations.
There are three gardens to visit — each garden is its own company with its own ticketing policies and pricing. All pre-purchased tickets are nonrefundable; please read the on-line ticketing guidelines carefully so you understand the ticketing rules. The ticket you purchase will give you admission to the garden you are visiting and only to that particular garden. You will have to buy a separate admission ticket to each garden- Garden Rosalyn, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town.
WHAT ARE THE THREE DIFFERENT TULIP FIELDS?
Tulip Town
Tulip Town has smaller fields than RoozenGaarde. While Tulip Town is also big (not as big as RoozenGaarde) but it has different style of Tulip display. Tulip Town has basically smaller rows of Tulips with different colors which looks like a rainbow. If you have time do both.
Tulip town has family friendly things like a face painting shop, small items shops, ice cream parlor, espresso shops etc. General Admission includes parking, trolley ride, access to the Tulip Bloom field, tulip gardens, indoor tulip displays, and barn experience.
There are three passes available: General Admission, Experience Pass, and Photography Pass.
The General Admission is $15 ages 12+, $7 ages 6-11, and kids 5 and under are free. A new ‘Anytime ticket’ is now available for $25 (one full day admission, no time reservation required).
The Experience Pass is $50/person and includes everything in General Admission plus a mini-workshop and escorted access directly into the field where you will be taught how to pick your own bouquet. You get an experience of a lifetime plus first-hand knowledge from the Tulip Town experts!
Lastly, the Photography Pass is $100 for a day pass and $375 for a season’s pass. The Photography Pass gets you exclusive access to the tulip field and gardens during the golden hours: 6am – 8am and through sunset, as well as during normal business hours. This is best for the professional photographers. Buy your ticket.
RoozenGaarde
RoozenGaarde has really large fields of Tulips, bigger than Tulip Town and Garden Rosalyn. The display garden is annually redesigned and replanted by hand with over 1 million bulbs and nearly 200 different tulips, daffodils and other flower types. RoozenGaarde’s large flower fields are filled with tens of millions of bulbs creating endless rows of breathtaking color.
RoozenGaarde offers General Admission tickets for $15 per person with children ages 2 and under free. The General Admission tickets include access to the RoozenGaarde 5-acre garden plus a 25-acre tulip field and a 20-acre daffodil field. The RoozenGaarde Gift Shop and Fresh Cut Tulip Market are also present. The gift shop hours during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival are 9am – 7pm and RoozenGaarde closes 10 minutes after sunset. Buy your ticket.
Garden Rosalyn
Garden Rosalyn is the newest Tulip Garden! Enjoy the garden with acres of tulips in intricate designs. Also there are picnic tables and the on-site food trucks making it a fun day outing for friends and families, especially with kids. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Admission is $12 and children five and under are free. Buy your ticket.
When is the peak bloom?
Although the bloom period of Tulips varies every year, they generally are in full bloom by April third week. Best way is to keep an eye out on their official website and the three tulip garden Facebook page for up-to-date bloom information before visiting. See when they update it for full bloom. Plan to visit accordingly.
How long do the Tulips last?
Warm spring weather produces an early bloom; cold weather means a later season. Once a tulip field begins to color, that particular field usually stays in bloom for about two weeks.
Where to park?
Parking is available for free at all three of the participating display gardens, but roadside parking is limited in the fields due to traffic regulations and shoulder conditions. Paid parking is also available in some locations.
What if I have to pick one garden out of three?
The answer to this question is really simple. RoozenGaarde is a large tulip farm with fields planted with many different colors. There is a lot to walk around! The colors are really vivid! Tulip Town is big but RoozenGaarde is bigger and also offers mountains as a backdrop. RoozenGaarde goes for larger fields with same color of Tulips while Tulip Town has smaller rows of Tulips with different colors which gives an appearance of a Rainbow.
RoozenGaarde has a gift selling shop, one small shop for snacks and a hot chocolate fudge shop, and that’s all. Tulip Town has more family and kids friendly things like a face painting shop, bouquet making experience, food shops, ice cream parlor etc.
For a first timer, RoozenGaarde is best option as you are not going to miss out anything much. For families with kids, Tulip Town can be a fun option as compared to RoozenGaarde.
Where to eat near Skagit Valley?
Anacortes Brewery/ Rockfish Grill
Delicious food and and drinks. Beers from the 10th oldest brewery in the state. Live music. Extensive outdoor seating. Online ordering available too. It is a great option to spend time with your family and friends.
Travel Tips
- Pets are not allowed at Tulip Town or RoozenGaarde, but leashed dogs are allowed at Garden Rosalyn.
- They provide a military discount which gets you tickets for $9.
- Plan to go on a sunny day, the pictures turn out to be stunning!
- Carry water and some cash.
- Wear comfortable clothes to be able to do long walks across the field.
- Do not leave any valuables inside car.
- Check Skagit Valley website to see the tulips status, it’s best to visit during full bloom.
- If you want to visit one between all the three gardens, visit RoozenGaarde.
We tried to include all the details you need to have a beautiful day with your friends/ family at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. If you have any questions, post them in comments on our Facebook page or email us and we will try to answer as soon as we can.
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