Skagit Valley Tulip Festival- La conner

Hi- I am interested in going to this festival this year but I am unsure... is it just a field or are ther actual events to go to? Is there more than one field? What else can you do in LaConner or Mount Vernon? Any info would be great. Thinking of a weekend in April.
Erica

 

I have been there in the past and hope to go this year as well. There are many fields to tour at different farms. If you have never seen it, I would highly recommend it. The first time I stood at the edge of a huge field of tulips and breathed in the fragrance I was blown away - tulips are fragrant, but you usually have to get your face into the flower to enjoy it - not here, it drifts from the fields in heavy wafts.

La Conner is a nice town with artist shops. I believe there are other events. Check out the website. There are some photo galleries to give you an idea. There will also be daffodils and later iris, but the tulips are the big show. It's fun, but expect crowds, especially on weekends.

 

We go many years- one tip, if it works for you, is to go later in the day, around 5-6 pm. Often the crowds are gone by then, the traffic craziness is over, and the late light is better for photography. If you do go during the day, be prepared for slow traffic. But the fields are worth the effort- in my opinion, this is the best way to grow/enjoy tulips- by the acre!

 

Daffodils have been out for some time. Keep up with any sources of updates you have found so you can come down at the right time.

 

I,d avoid weekends, if possible.
Some other interesting things to check out nearby:
The Deception Pass Bridge & State Park
La Conner antique stores (and, of course the brewery)
Christiansen's Nursery (say hello to Andrew)
The Snowgoose - fruitstand, amazing ice cream cones
Pasek Cellars - free wine tasting (some incredible dessert wines)
The Conway Pub - one of the last and best red-neck bars
Chuckanut Drive - if you have time

An aside: I remember a story told by a local gardening show host, who led a group of local gardeners on a tulip tour of Holland. One lady, upon inspecting her bulb purchase, noticed written on the tag - "Grown in the Skagit Valley, USA".

 

I agree with Gordo, go on a weekday, and make a day of it. If you are a wildflower fan, walking the trails at Deception Pass or Fidalgo Head (Washington Park in Anacortes) are usually a great combo with the tulip show. Fidalgo Head trails have some great accessible San Juan complex of wildflowers - erythronium and calypso orchid in the shade, camas, spring gold, lithophragma, monkeyflower, shooting star, etc, on the exposed bluffs.

 

Fidalgo Head also has Juniperus scopulorum.

 

This year is the 25th Annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here are my tips for getting the best out of the festival :-) Go early in the morning and avoid weekend afternoons. Take a bike if possible. Make La Conner your headquarters...best shopping, lodging, dining and art in the valley AND you are on the water. Check out the new butterfly garden on the hill. Stop at Christianson's nursery while checking out the tulip fields. Nell Thorn uses mostly organic foods in their restaurant and are members of sustainable connections. Incredible food and a good bartender named Manny. The La Conner microbrew is a great stop if you enjoy a good brew or Seeds if you enjoy a good martini. In La conner, the Museum of Northwest Art is worth a visit. If you like flying, Kenmore Air is doing Flightseeing tours taking off on the La Conner Waterfront. While heading back North over the border, drive through Edison for a VERY small town treat. Then head up Scenic Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham for incredible view of Puget Sound. If you are in the mood for a hike, there is a barely visable trail head across from the Oyster Bar Restaurant on Chuckanut Drive that takes you to "Samish Outlook"...this is part of the Pacific Northwest Trail. Here is a great website to plan your trip: www.LaConnerChamber.com