5 Top Tulip Festivals in the US and Beyond

Tulip fields forever. Well, that might not be exactly how that song goes, but for about two months every year, you can see tulip fields forever across the US and around the world. With their stylish shapes and resplendent flowers in a rainbow of colors, they are a welcome sight for our eyes and soul. Enjoy the drama of the fields along with festival events in the US and beyond.

1. Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Every March and April, about 30 miles south of Portland, Oregon, The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, stages their rainbow of color, with the height of the season usually around mid-April, depending on the weather. The tulip fields are the main attraction, but visitors can also enjoy plenty of photo opportunities with Mt. Hood in the background, kid’s activities, hot air balloon rides, Wooden Shoe Vineyards wine tasting, a fun run and an Oregon favorite, Red Barn Hemp products.

2. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Held in the Skagit Valley about one hour north of Seattle, Washington, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a countywide Spring celebration of the tulip bloom. The tulip fields, events and activities are scattered throughout the Skagit Valley. In addition to the tulip fields, visitors can enjoy the Anacortes Quilt Walk and Art in the Schoolhouse where paintings, photography, rustic garden art and more are offered for sale. For a more active experience, visitors can also choose to experience the festival sites on a self-guided bike tour.

3. Tulip Time

Tulip Time, the Holland, Michigan festival is regularly listed on the ‘Top 20 events in the world’ by the International Festival and Events Association. This 8-day festival which generally is held the first week of May, provides tulip displays and entertainment with a Dutch flair for all ages including: concerts, food carts, parades, Klompen Dance (clog folk dancing), Town Crier Competition, Art & Craft Fair, Trolley Tours, and activities for kids. You might think about combining a trip to Holland with a trip to Mackinac Island and the area’s lighthouses – which is on my bucket list and a topic for another day.

4. Canadian Tulip Festival

This festival held in Ottawa, Canada in May has its roots in international friendship between the Netherlands and Canada during WWII. In addition to the more than 300,000 tulips in Commissioner’s Park in downtown Ottawa, more tulips abound in the Garden Promenade self-guided or escorted tour of Ottawa’s many public gardens. This year they also celebrate (virtually) with a formal event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands and the end of the WWII.

5. Keukenhof

The world’s most famous tulip garden features over 7 million tulip bulbs and 800 varieties planted on 80 acres! Now that’s a lot of tulips! This picturesque park is located just 16 miles from Amsterdam. Besides the acres of flowers, visitors can enjoy spectacular flower shows, unique art and other tulip themed attractions for all ages. Combine your trip to Amsterdam and Keukenhof with a Tulip Time river cruise on the scenic Netherland waterways, beginning in Amsterdam and stopping at the historic cities of Rotterdam and Arnhem and the World Heritage windmill site of Kinderdijk. And to find out which river cruise line is right for you, just reach out to me. I can help with that.

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While the tulip festivals listed are closed for this year because of COVID-19, most of these are offering virtual events through their Facebook, Instagram pages and YouTube. There will be many things that we’ll get back to in our lives and the ability to move around freely and begin traveling again is certainly one of them. When the time is right, reach out for your free travel consultation.

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