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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Mt Vernon WA Tips & Places to Visit!

It is almost that time of the year to enjoy the Tulip Festival! If you are planning to attend this year, we have the full scoop on how it will work this year for 2024. They will be continuing timed tickets for a Tulip festival visit, so we definitely highly recommend buying tickets ahead of time on their online websites

There are now 4 different tulip farms & they are  all offering different options, so we have listed the different options below so you can decide which one is the best fit for your family (or if you want to try out them all).

You can check out this reel from Jen’s visit last Spring, to get a better idea of what to expect too.

Tulip Valley Farms

The Tulip Valley farms is the only U Pick Tulip tulip farm in the Skagit Valley.  Tulip Valley Farm is located in Mount Vernon on Bradshaw Rd.  It will be open Friday March 29, 2024 & goes thru April 30, 2024.  Tickets online are $13.50/adults (16+), children (ages 3-15) – $8.50, senior/military – $10.50 & any day pass for $25. Tickets purchased at the gate are $3/more

They are offering free twice daily farm tours with Farmer Andrew at 10am & 2pm, Mon-Sat. This is a 30-45 minute walk & talk where you can learn all about tulips & farming & ask any questions.  They also are offering a Wow Garden & Parrot Garden packed with blooms. The U-Pick flowers are 25 stems for $20 if you pre-purchase your bouquet. Or $2/stem at the field wrapping stations.

This tulip field is dog-friendly & very kid-friendly, especially as they have grass between the rows, so you can get pictures in the middle of the rows (which is not allowed at most tulip fields). And this means less mud for the kids too! You can also bring a picnic lunch to eat at the farm (bring your own food & non-alcoholic drink)

We absolutely loved our visit to the Tulip Valley Farms last year because it was the perfect place for photo opps with being able to go between the rows with the grass in between. Plus, we loved getting cute photos of our pup in the tulips too! They also had animals to visit & different fun photo opps set up in the fields too. The crowds were much lighter here too.

Buy your tickets here – you will need to choose a date/time to see the price.

Tulip Town

They will be opening on March 30, 2024 – April 30, 2024. They have 5 acres of tulip fields with plenty of photo opportunities. There are indoor & outdoor tulip gardens, displays & a windmill. They will also have trolley rides (included in your ticket price, weather dependent), as well as shops like a retail boutique, local goods, flower stand, nursery, pottery & more.

You can also get food, treats, ice cream & coffee at their new cafe, The landing at Tulip Town. There will be a beer & wine garden as well.

General Admission Tickets are $15 for age 12+ ; $7 for ages 6 – 11 & 5 & under are free. $13 for seniors/military (when you buy ahead online).

Buy your tickets here

Your ticket will include:

• Parking
• Entry
• Trolley Ride
• 2024 bloom field
• Tulip gardens
• Indoor tulip display
• Barn experience

(No pets or drones)

Roozengarde

They will be open 8am – 7pm daily. Bloom dates are flexible depending on the weather/bloom time, but typically they have found that April 7th – 25th is the prime time to see the most blooms. Things are blooming a bit earlier this year though (2024) so keep an eye on their page as you might see them as early as March this year.

It’s typically free admission in March to see the daffodils at Roozengarde & they typically start charging by the 3rd week of March, but check back on their website for exact times.}

Admission Costs – $15/person (includes taxes/fees) for weekdays and $17 over the weekend. Children 2 & under are free – there are no specific dates when you purchase tickets – you choose the date/time

Buy tickets here

Your ticket will include:

• Roozengarde’s 5 Acre Garden
• 25 Acre Tulip Field
• 20 Acre daffodil field
• Gift Shop
• Fresh Cut Tulip Market
• Parking is included

Fine Print:

• No pets
• No drones

Garden Rosalyn

This is a new site offering garden tours of the tulips this year called Garden Rosalyn & we don’t have a lot of information yet from them, but we will update as soon as we know more. It says they are opening on April 1st & they will be offering tickets on site (no reservation needed) & online ticket options will be available soon, too.

They will have a gift shop as well as food trucks on site as well. They will be open every day from 7am – 8pm. The address is: 16648 Jungquist Rd Mount Vernon, WA

Buy your tickets here – they are general admission tickets where you pick the date/time

Review of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival & Tips for Visiting!

Each year the Tulip Festival occurs during the month of April. In previous years, organizer anticipate full blooms during the mid month in April (and this is the timeframe for most years), so if you’re wanting to see the most color, you might want to plan a visit around that timeframe. I know the tulips in my yard are popping early this year, so keep an eye on their website for updates on this years bloom schedule! We have resources that you can check out below to determine what is in bloom (when you check out their websites they often give current updates on the status of the blooms) to help you plan the best time for your visit.

April is the month for the big Tulip Festivals around the Northwest – the biggest festival is up in Mt Vernon, WA – the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival,  although there is also a popular Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon that we used to go when we lived in western Oregon – it’s also beautiful, just on a smaller scale to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.  We also recently learned of another smaller Tulip Festival in Woodland, WA (southwest Washington).

I spent several years living right in the heart of the tulips in Mt Vernon – it’s actually where my husband and I got married (18 years ago!) & I worked just 5 minutes away from the Tulip Fields during our time there. So I always get sentimental when the Tulip Festival time comes around as I miss those days of living so close & heading out to the fields for pictures and watching the sun go down on the tulip fields after work.

The obligatory picture of your cute kiddo in the tulips! 

We frequently head up to the Tulip Fields during the festival timeframe, either when we’re passing through headed up north or we make a specific trip to go there. So I thought I’d share a few tips with you about visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Resources for you to Use:

Map of the Skagit Valley & Tulip Festival Events

Most Current Information about the Tulip Festival on the Facebook Page

Visiting Skagit Valley on a Budget

Angel of the Winds Casino Hotel Review

My personal favorite of the tulips – love all the varieties you can find!

Roozengarde:

Check out this Bloom Map which is updated regularly to show you where the fields are located & which flowers & varieties are blooming.  We visited a Roozengarde field on our visit off McLean Road near LaConner-Whitney Road.

Roozengarde also has an amazing 5 acre display garden at their main location off Beaver Marsh road, as well as more tulip fields.  I definitely recommend this beautiful display garden – it’s gorgeous and filled with 1/4 million bulbs! Wow!  Plus they have a gift shop where you can find fun flower items and all things tulips!

Tulip Town: 

Tulip Town is the other popular destination to visit when you visit the Tulip Festival. We went to visit Tulip Town years ago and there is so much more to do here now. They  have a trolley/wagon ride that you can ride (now included in your admission). There is an indoor plant & garden show, which is nice for those rainy days when you don’t want to spend the whole day outside to see all the beautiful flowers. They also have local artists on hand as well on the weekends.

What I love about Tulip Town is there are so many great photo opp locations.

5 Tips for Visiting the Tulip Fields::

1) Make sure to get a map either before your visit or in town before you hit the fields

You definitely want to have a printed map to take with you so you know exactly where to see all the best fields. You can download this printable map of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Or you can pick up a map with a brochure at any of these Tulip Festival official locations.

2) Visit early in the day or late in the afternoon

On the weekends, especially, the Tulip Festival can be very popular and that means crowded & slow driving thru the country roads near the fields. If you can, it’s best to try to hit the Festival ideally earlier in the day or if that doesn’t work, then head there later in the afternoon. Just make sure you’ve checked on the times the fields are open (follow them on Facebook -Roozengarde or Tulip Town) they may extend hours during certain times. If you can visit at all during the week, that’s going to be the best time for less crowds compared to any time on the weekends.

3) Make it a Day Adventure as there is so much to see & do in Skagit Valley

There really is a lot to see and do up in the Skagit Valley, so if you’re coming from a distance, I’d recommend you plan for a day of excursions. Check out our post with all the budget-friendly options of what to see & do in the Skagit Valley.  Once you’ve visited the fields & gardens which could take a few hours, then you can head to downtown Mt Vernon to check out their shops and restaurants or the quaint town of La Conner nearby in the valley, filled with antique shops, specialty shops, restaurants & pretty views along the water.

Another idea that friends of mine recently tried was to head first to the Tulip Fields, lunch in Mt Vernon and then they headed out to Whidbey Island and Deception Pass State Park, which has gorgeous views & some pretty hikes and a beach to play at. You can check out the park on the Fidalgo Island side and the Whidbey Island side. You can then continue down the length of Whidbey Island to catch the ferry at the southern end to bring you back to the Everett area.

4) Take the scenic route through the valley at least one direction on your way to/from the tulip fields

Get off at the Conway exit (Exit 221) if you’re coming from the Seattle area. If you’re coming from up north of the Skagit Valley festival, I still think it’s  worth it if you have the time to either drive down & start from the Conway exit or end up there on your way back to I-5. This will give you the full effect of the beautiful Skagit Valley as you drive along this road and you’ll also pass the always popular Snow Goose Produce Market (great place to stop for ice cream cones!).

5) Bring boots for the whole family

Most likely, the fields will be VERY muddy as it is springtime in the Northwest, which typically means a fair amount of rain. Even if it hasn’t rained for a day or two, all that dirt out there will still hold the rain (which makes for some fun, squishy ground to walk on if there’s water underneath – almost like a trampoline we all decided) –but you will get dirty/muddy. But what kids don’t love to tromp around in fields? Great fun for the kids! You might want to think about a change of clothes for the younger kiddos, too! Towels or baby wipes are handy, too, to wipe off dirty hands/feet, etc. A reader also mentioned bringing plastic bags for the kids boots to go in after they are done wearing them. What a great idea!

Restaurants to Try:

Calico Cupboard Cafe & Bakery – One of my favorite restaurants in the Skagit Valley, as it’s been a family favorite for years growing up,  is the Calico Cupboard and the great news is that there are 3 different locations. It is found in downtown Mt Vernon, La Conner, and Anacortes. This is a great place to stop for a baked goodie or for lunch.

Skagit River Brewing Co – This is always a favorite of those who visit Mt Vernon. My friends recently went to this restaurant for lunch on their visit up to the Tulip Festival & they loved it & said the food was delicious!

Skagit Valley Co-Op – This is actually a grocery store Co-Op but it also has a fantastic little deli/cafe, where you can get sandwiches, soups, salads, with organic & locally sourced ingredients. They also offer a number of vegan, gluten-free & more options. I used to go here for lunch when I worked near downtown & it was a favorite. You can either eat in the cafe or bring your sandwiches with you to go to eat on your tour of the fields.

Pacioni’s – If you’re looking for great pizza or Italian food, Pacioni’s in downtown Mt Vernon is the place to go! My husband loved the calzones from Pacioni’s and the pizzas are delicious (voted best pizza in the Skagit Valley).

Mexico Cafe – If you’re looking for great Mexican food, plus a location right in the heart of tulip country, Mexico Cafe is your place to go! This is another one of our favorite restaurants in Mt Vernon that we regularly visited.

Snow Goose Produce Market – This is not a restaurant but a fabulous place to stop & get ice cream cones right in the heart of the valley on the way to LaConner (outside of Conway) – their ice cream cones are huge! They also have a nice produce market to check out with a wide variety of options. You will need cash for the ice cream cones, though!

Big Scoop Sundae Palace – this is an old fashioned ice cream parlor with great ice cream & sundaes plus it’s a restaurant too. This place has been around since I was a kid and it’s just a fun, happy place to visit.

More Places to Check Out:

Mt Vernon Street Fair – Typically the 3rd weekend of April (check on times each year),  Mt Vernon  puts on a Street Fair & I think this is a good one to check out as they have a wide variety of arts & crafts as well as entertainment, yummy food & more.

Christianson’s Nursery – This is a high quality nursery in the Skagit Valley and it’s a must-visit if you love plants & gardening. We used to love to go walk around this nursery & check out all the different varieties of flowers & plants they had.

Where are your favorite places to go when you visit the Tulip Festival? We’d love to hear any tips you have on visiting?

Check out our post about visiting Skagit Valley on a Budget too!

And a review of an affordable hotel in the Skagit Valley area – Angel of the Winds Hotel

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