The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is an event happening each spring in the city of La Conner, Washington. Skagit Valley tulips are among the finest tulips in the world, and hundred of farms are found in the Skagit Valley which sell tulip bulbs and full grown flowers to grocery stores and other flower outlets throughout the United States and the world. Folks who visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in person can purchase tulip bulbs directly as well as cut flowers.
The town of LaConner is a sleepy town throughout most
of the year, but truly comes to life during the Skagit
Valley Tulip Festival. LaConner is located about
an hour north of Seattle by
car, just west of Interstate 5. The festival lasts
throughout the month of April and the first week or so
of May, when Skagit Valley tulips are in full bloom.
In addition to the main parade through town (usually the
2nd or 3rd weekend in April), there
are a number of Skagit Valley Tulip Festival events happening
all month long.
The Run Through the Tulips fun-run is one of the most popular events, and participants will have the chance to run through some of the prettiest Skagit Valley Tulips on this 5K race. Costs are around $10 per person, and finishers will receive a t-shirt. There are also a number of great music events that take place as part of the festival each year. Every Friday and Saturday throughout the month of April, live music is offered at the Winner Lounge Bar and the Skagit Bar in LaConner. The music is free and the musical guests change. A schedule of musical events is generally posted on the Skagit Tulip Festival website.
In addition to the fun and free events in LaConner during the festival, one of the most popular things to do is simply drive around looking at the miles upon miles of open fields of tulips, which travelers will find grow in every imaginable color. Interested guests can find maps of LaConner showing all of the growers and different tulip farms online as well as at the visitor’s center in downtown LaConner. The map shows locations of tulip fields as well as hours of operation. For the most part, guests are allowed to walk on designated trails through the tulip fields totally free of charge. Most shops sell cut flowers for a few dollars right from the farm, and some even have gift shops where folks can buy tulip bulbs to take home and plant.
For guests who aren’t able to make it to the tulip bulb festival in person, it is possible to order tulip bulbs and flowers online. Not only are links available to all growers offering flower deliver online from the main Skagit Tulip Festival website, but many growers also post this information online themselves. Since tulip bulbs must be planted the previous fall for spring growth in northern climates, flower delivery online will usually follow this pattern, and bulbs for sale in the spring or summer will be meant for planting during the coming fall. Folks who take part in flower delivery online will usually find growing instructions for the bulbs on the site where they make their purchase. Be sure to store your tulips bulbs in a cool, dry location until you are ready to plant them – otherwise they may begin sprouting on their own.
