Pay attention: the “tulip viewing hints” on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival’s website exist to ensure your visit to the monthlong flower-focused festival runs smoothly.
If you’re looking to avoid crowds as you ramble through the blooming acreage, the suggestions include knowing in advance that Saturdays are inevitably the busiest days of the festival, followed by Sundays, Fridays and Mondays (yep, in that order).
They also point out rainy days will have the fewest visitors to any festival garden or event. People should also dress for the weather, and remember to bring a camera. Those toddlers in the tulip field photos aren’t going to take themselves, after all, and a good capture could win you honors in the annual Tulip Festival Photo Contest.
Another thing to consider is that all three fields which are open to the public — Tulip Town, Garden Rosayln and RoozenGaarde — will be following COVID guidelines. Do your part by adhering to their rules. You’ll also want to purchase tickets in advance, as time slots fill up quickly.
My advice? Be prepared to go with the flow. Say you’re having a post-tour lunch in La Conner on April 9 and the Not So Impromptu Tulip Parade marches by. Snap a couple of selfies and watch the action. Or stop by the Tulip Festival Street Fair in downtown Mount Vernon, and see what the fuss is all about. Additionally, if you’re driving by a side road and spy posters for the Rexville Grange Art Show or Art in a Pickle Barn, then take a turn and check out the exhibits.
And if you get rained out of a tulip field, seek shelter and sustenance at places like the Old Edison Inn, where diners can try their hand at shuffleboard while sipping on local brews and waiting for their platters of pan-fried oysters to arrive.
For those of us who live nearby, the Tulip Festival can also be about the exploration of our own backyard. So even if things don’t go as planned, it’s still possible to have a good time.
For more details about the 39th annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, go to tulipfestival.org
