Family Adventures at Washington's Tulip Festival
Tour Huge Blooming Bulb Gardens in the Pacific Northwest
Mar 30, 2009
Springtime in Washington’s Skagit Valley is ablaze with color. Fields of tulips and daffodils form gigantic patchwork quilts in vivid hues covering 300 acres. Every April, visitors from around the world come to see the blooming Skagit Valley, known as one of the most scenic areas of the Northwest.
This year’s Tulip Festival takes place from April 1-30. Family-friendly events and activities include touring the tulip fields by bicycle each weekend. This is an ideal way to see tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in bloom, avoiding people on foot and in buses, while covering a large area. Tulip Country Bike Tours offers customized family rides with snacks and plenty of photo-ops.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Special Activities and Events
Color isn’t just on the ground during the Tulip Festival. Each weekend, Tulip Town’s Four Winds Kite Shop offers professional kite demonstrations that paint the sky with moving color. Kids can get their faces painted daily at Tulip Town, where a family-friendly café offers a refueling stop.
The Tulip Parade, on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m. along 1st Street in the town of La Conner features farm animals, clowns, bands and mascots. Have a family portrait painted with the tulip fields as a background on Friday, April 17. The Skagit Tulip Fly-In and Airshow on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Skagit Regional Airport showcases vintage and military aircraft, kids’ events and free flights for kids. The free airshow is from 1-2 p.m.
Ongoing Tulip Festival Activities and Events
The Skagit Valley’s four large tulip growers and nurseries open their doors daily in April to display myriad varieties of blooming bulbs that flourish there each spring. From landscaped parks and gardens with windmills to playgrounds and petting zoos, there’s plenty to keep kids entertained.
Experience a Northwest tradition at the Kiwanis Club Salmon Barbeque. Alder-grilled salmon dinners are served daily in the historic Hillcrest Lodge. Each weekend, WoodFest offers live chainsaw-carving demonstrations and sales, professional woodcraft vendors and regional student demonstrations at the Sedro-Woolley High School.
Arts and Crafts at the Tulip Festival
Area museums and art galleries feature local artists, who capture the unique light and inspiration of the surrounding countryside and seashore. Bunnies by the Bay features gifts for all ages, tea and treats, plus stories for the kids. The La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in the historic Gaches Mansion exhibits quilts from around the world. Families will enjoy “The Way We Played” exhibit in the Skagit County Historical Museum’s galleries.
From the Skagit County Fairground's flea market with 250 vendors April 4-5 to the Mt. Vernon street fair’s artisans from eight states and children’s activities April 17-19, not to mention all the local galleries, there are plenty of arts and crafts during the festival.
Family Adventures near the Skagit Valley
Families looking for adventure will want to visit Padilla Bay National Marine Research Reserve. Eight miles north of La Conner, the ecological reserve of marsh and tidelands is home to 240 species of birds, including bald eagles and Peregrine falcons, as well as seals and otters. The nature trails include an upland forest and meadow trail or a shore trail along the bay.
A trip to Deception Pass State Park, on the north end of nearby Whidbey Island, is just 17 miles west of Mt. Vernon. Hike trails through thick forests and along freshwater lakes or search the long beaches for seashells and driftwood. The Deception Pass Bridge affords magnificent views of the San Juan Islands and the swirling channel waters below.
A wealth of affordable and free adventures await at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Whether touring fields of colorful bulbs, watching a small-town parade, tasting barbecued salmon, visiting area museums or art galleries, there’s plenty for families to do. Explore the surrounding parks for wildlife viewing, hiking and beachcombing.
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