Tip toe through the tulips during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This is the perfect springtime day trip out of Seattle. Millions of tulips, and daffodils in a rainbow of colors. Every spring hundreds of thousands of people come to Skagit Valley to appreciate the celebration of spring as millions of tulips burst into bloom. There is fun for the entire family.
This year is the 30 year anniversary for the Skagit Vally Tulip Festival, and they’re celebrating 30 Days of April with 30 days of prizes. Each day during the Festival, they will feature an item that a visitor to the Festival can win. Also, for the first time they are also having a photo contest. The winning photographer will have his or her photo published in the 2014 Official Brochure and win a prize package.
Besides flowers, there are helicopter tours, photo tours, bike tours, art shows showcasing local artists, wineries, breweries, and museums. There is so much happening, a few of my favorites are listed below, but I highly recommend downloading the brochure: The 2013 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Brochure
- Downtown Mount Vernon Street Fair: April 19-21, Fri & Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 10 am-5 pm. Featuring 100s of arts and crafts vendors from more that 8 states. Live entertainment at multiple locations, children’s activities and a tremendous variety of food concessions to choose from. More info at www.mountvernondowntown.org.
- Art Gallery At Tulip Town: Tulip Town Art Gallery showcases art from previous and current Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster artists and other notable Pacific Northwest artists. Originals, prints and other merchandise available for purchase.
- Tulip Run – 28th Annual: 9:30am start on April 6. This scenic 2 or 5 mile course is flat and fast on gravel packed trails. It’s an experience the whole family will enjoy. Info and registration on-line at http://www.tuliprun.com.
- Kiwanis Salmon Barbeque: April 6-April 28 11am – 7pm Daily. Alder grilled salmon with baked potato, coleslaw, garlic bread, beverages and ice cream. Reg/large plate $12, medium/small plate $10. More info also at www.kiwanismv.net/.
- Pick up a lunch basket at the Skagit Valley Coop.
- Drive (or bike 🙂 ) along the Tulip Route, a 15-mile triangle bordered by Highway 20, the Skagit Valley River, and the Swinomish Channel. The valley is gorgeous, and the tulips are in all their glory. Along the way, check out a few of display gardens. RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town appear to be the largest and RoozenGaarde delivers when it comes to their display garden. They have planted 300,000 bulbs, and the garden is beautiful.
- Visit a few of the farms with display gardens; RoozenGaarde (15867 Beaver Marsh Road, Mount Vernon; 360-424-8531); Tulip Town (15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon; 360-424-8152); Azusa Farm and Gardens 914904 Highway 20, Mount Vernon; 360-424-1580); Christianson’s Nursery (15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon; 360-466-3821).
- Visit Pasek Cellars Winery Tasting Room and taste the official wine of the Tulip Festival.

The photos are gorgeous ,remind me of Carlsbad.
Carlsbad was nice, but this is so much more.
What gorgeous pictures
Thanks Cay! You you’re always generous with your compliments…I like that. 🙂 But, seriously, thanks!
Great imagery here, you captured the fields well. You lucked out because the sun has been elusive on our tours this year. Great shot of the tractor and the winding dirt road.
Thank you. I did feel lucky to catch the sun. I hope to get back up there before it’s all gone.