A month of fun at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
By SARAH ARNEY Copy Editor
Skagit Valley Gardens, at 18923 Peter Johnson Road, also features floral displays, greenhouses filled with annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, trees, shrubs, roses and vines, with a retail area full of unique gifts and the Garden Café serving sandwiches, soups and desserts. PHOTO BY ADAM STEWART | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS The beautiful bulbs are blooming now, all ready for the 26th annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which begins April 1 and continues through the month. Thanks to the warm winter, the two major growers report fields of flowers in bloom as of March 25. RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town both offer huge walkthrough tulip fields, west of downtown Mount Vernon, on the way toward La Conner.
RoozenGaarde is at 15867 Beaver Marsh Road, and Tulip Town is at 15002 Bradshaw Road.
But it’s not just tulips.
Other growers that take advantage of the alluvial soil of the Skagit River flood plain join the festival fun.
Azusa Farm and Gardens, at 14904 SR20, offers a country store with a wide variety of locally-grown nursery plants and cut flowers, with display gardens, farm tours and country-living exhibits.
Christianson’s Nursery, at 15806 Best Road, promises the largest selection of roses, perennials and trees in Northwest Washington, and a dry respite on a rainy day with resident birds in their greenhouses and the circa 1888 school house which hosts the Stanwood-Camano Art Guild.
Schuh Farms, 15565 SR536, features a 100-yearold barn on a berry/pumpkin farm, with seasonal treasures at “garage sale” prices and a half acre of you pick/we pick tulips, a kids’ playground, tractor-made ice cream on Sundays.
Skagit Valley Gardens, at 18923 Peter Johnson Road, also features floral displays, greenhouses filled with annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, trees, shrubs, roses and vines, with a retail area full of unique gifts and the Garden Café serving sandwiches, soups and desserts.
Tulip Valley Vineyard and Orchard, 16163 SR536, offers free tastings of their award winning wine and hard cider at the Big Red Barn. Take a glass to the deck or stroll through the art exhibit in the barn. Live music and food vendors on weekends.
Non-agriculture events celebrate the dirt in different ways, with flights offering magnificent views of the fields, and art shows flourishing across the valley. (For a complete list of art shows, see side bar at right)
Coast Aviation offers 20-minute flights over the tulip fields, and 30-minute tours via Deception Pass with views of the San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. Choose between an immaculate antique or ultra modern aircraft, at Skagit Regional Airport, just north of Hwy 20 (phone 360-708-9797).
The tulip festival also includes unique fun destinations up the river, at the Country Time Alpacas, in Sedro-Woolley, Eagle Haven Winery & Vineyard, 8243 Sims Road, Sedro Woolley at the foot of the North Cascade Mountains, and Tayor Shellfish Farms on Chuckanut Drive, among others.
Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 10441 Bayview-Edison Road, is the only National Estuarine Research Reserve in Washington state. Its Breazeale Interpretive Center features new salt water aquaria, interactive exhibits, a reference library, gift shop, trails, bird watching tips.
Many festival events and activities established by tradition will go on as expected: The Kiwanis Salmon Barbecue runs from April 3-25 and the Battle of the Bands event holds preliminary competition rounds April 3, 10 and 17, Quilt Show April 2 and 3, US Bank Parade April 10, Tesoro Tulip Frolic April 10, Tulip Run April 10, Woodfest April 10, PACCAR Open House April 10, Tulip Pedal April 17, Antiques Safari April 17, the Tulip Festival Street Fair April 16-18, Battle of the Bands Finale April 24, Garden Art Fair April 24 & 25.
For information see www.tulipfestival.org or call 360-428-5959.
