Your Guide To The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

This time last year, I was living in Montana and somehow, I heard about the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, Washington and really wanted to go. At the time, it would have been about a twelve hour drive for me, so I ended up not going. However, I live an hour north of Skagit Valley now, so we are heading down to the Tulip Festival in a few weeks!

I’ve been researching this event for over a year now and I wanted to create this guide for anyone who is looking for places to stay near Mt. Vernon, things to do at or near the tulip festival, and how to make this an awesome weekend getaway.

About the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

This Northwest Washington tulip fesitval started back in 1984. It started as just a 2-day event and now, it spans the entire month of April! Each year, April 1-30, people will come from over 85 countries to see the tulips of Skagit Valley. Of course, we can’t predict when the tulips will be in full bloom, but chances are, if you come in April, you’ll get a good show.

There is truly something for everyone including bike riding events, a celbration gala, art shows, afternoon teas, and more. This festival makes for such a great weekend getaway from anywhere in Northwest Washington. These tulip fields are also relatively close to Seattle, making this a great trip away from the city.

This festival is meant to be driven through as it includes several different tulip fields. However, many also choose to bike to the different areas.

Tickets will go on sale before the festival. You can buy a ticket at the fields when you arrive, but I always recommend buying tickets beforehand because you never know if they will sell out. I’ll include links to the tulip field tickets in the section below.

Tulip Fields Near Mt. Vernon

There are three main tulip fields to see when you’re visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Fesitval. The first, Gardyn Rosalyn, is the newest addition to the festival. Dogs on leashes are welcome here and it’s $12 to enter. They will have food trucks and picnic tables set up for lunch.

It looks like tickets for Gardyn Rosalyn are not available online (yet).

RoozenGaarde has been part of the tulip festival for a while now. Each year, they hand plant over one million tulip bulbs to make for a very impressive 30-acre tulip field. The price of entry is $15 and they’ll have flowers for sale along with free bulbs for customers in 2022!

Click here to buy tickets to RoozenGaarde.

Lastly, Tulip Town has a 5-acre show field, trolley rides through the tulips, food for purchase, and most importantly, a beer and wine garden. The price of entry is $15 and that includes parking!

Click here to buy tickets to Tulip Town.

You won’t go wrong with any of these tulip fields, but I recommend staying the night near Mt. Vernon so you can see two of them, or even all three.

Places to Stay Near the Tulip Festival

There are a number of places to stay in Mt. Vernon or more toward the coast, in Anacortes, WA. If you’re looking for more of an upscale option, the Anacortes Majestic Inn and Spa is right on the water, has luxurious rooms and suites, and includes options for dining and spa services.

For a more budget-friendly option, the Tulip Inn in Mt. Vernon is your classic motel-style building close to the tulip fields. The rooms look a bit dated, but you probably won’t want to spend too much time in them, anyway!

For more of a bed and breakfast-style escape, Katy’s Inn is a favorite in La Conner – just a 10 minute drive from Tulip Town. The building, itself, is very cute with two terraces that wrap around. Guests will enjoy breakfast each morning and they’re own garden on the property.

Things to do at or near Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

While most of your time in Skagit Valley will be spent walking around the tulip festival, there are other things nearby you might want to make time for. One activity that I highly recommend is afternoon tea at Willowbrook Manor. They host guests any time of year, but they have an event called “Tea and Tulips” every Friday and Saturday in April.

Here are a few other things you might want to see in this area when you’re visiting:

Casinos: Swinomish Casino and Lodge and Skagit Casino Resort

Shopping: The Shops at Burlington and Seattle Premium Outlets

Bike tours: Tulip Country Bike Tours

For the kids: Children’s Museum of Skagit County and 4-H Club Petting Farm

Wineries: Eagle Haven Winery, Skagit Cellars Winery, and Skagit Crest Vineyard and Winery

–> If you like wineries as much as I do, check out this round up of amazing Napa Valley Wine Tours! <–

Breweries: Anacortes Brewery, Chuckanut Brewery, and Farmstrong Brewing Co.

More information on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

For even more info on things to do places to stay, and tips for visiting the tulip festival, here is the official brochure produced each year by the festival, itself.

Let me know in the comments if you plan on visiting and where you’re traveling from!

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