2025 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | Our Day & Tips for Your Visit

They're here! The Skagit Valley tulips have arrived! Dennis and I made the trip just in the afternoon once the rain let up on Friday, April 11, 2025. We're fortunate we live just about 30 minutes from Mount Vernon, where the acres of bright tulips blanket the valley.

There are some people who visit multiple fields in a single day. In total there are 5 main fields that officially participate in the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival - Tulip Town, Skagit Acres, RoozenGaarde, Tulip Valley Farms, and Garden Rosalyn. For our day's adventure we decided to focus on RoozenGaarde, which is not only well-known for their 50+ acres of fields, but also their beautiful gardens showcasing their near 200 varieties. Each of us had a goal in mind for the day. Dennis, being the skilled photographer with multiple lens, wanted to capture the vast fields with their broad strips of color along with some close up shots. For me, it was for close ups for reference while I paint the gorgeous petals and blooms. The key difference between us is I just use my iPhone - I've tried his camera and my eyes and brain just don't process the same way his does. So if you ever wonder if we compete - not when it comes to whose photos make The Feather & Frame. Anything else; maybe.

This was my first year taking close-ups with a purpose vs just for remembrance. I quickly learned it's not as easy as it looks; at this for this in-her-forties lady. Mainly, those precious blooms are planted in the ground, so if you want that full on front bloom shot you're going need to be flexible enough to bend over down to about your toes or squat. There is also the kneel method as long as you don't mind muddy knees - there is a reason the Skagit Valley produces world-renowned tulips. I opted for alternating between squatting and the half bend using my Moft Snap Phone Tripod stand in vlogging mode upside down - again, I wasn't going for shots that would be worth of hanging; my magic comes later. If you are going for the big field shots, unless you perhaps get their as soon as the gate opens, you need to either be okay with strangers in the background or loving the Remove tool in Photoshop. I'm not one to gatekeep so I'll share my other tips after what you're probably waiting for - some photos of these flowers I keep writing about! Without further ado, here are some I took. To see Dennis's, the best place is on his Facebook page, Dennis Bennett's Photography.

Tips for a Memorable (In a Good Way) Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

1. Check out which gardens you want to visit that will best suite your goal for the day (have happy family memories, just the flowers, or a little of both?) I highly recommend previewing each of the gardens online through Skagit Valley Tulip Festival's ticketing page. There is no one ticket for all the fields.

   Each garden has their own tickets and prices. By biggest recommendation here is Tulip Town for young families - think pumpkin patch vibes but with flowers.

   
   

2. Buy Tickets Before You Arrive. Click HERE. Trust Me.

   This will save you standing in a longer line.

What to Wear

Layers Depending if you are going early morning or afternoon, in Skagit county it could be breezy, raining, full sun, and everything in between in the same hour and day.

Jacket With a Hood If you're from western Washington, I shouldn't have to say this. If you have young children, skip the umbrella. You're probably going to need both hands at some point.

Shoes That Handle Mud & Walking Unless you're staying completely in the manicured garden areas, these are working fields. There is going to be mud and puddles.

Attention Parents/Grandparents/Aunties/Uncles of puddle loving children - maybe an extra set of pants, socks, and shoes.

Packing

Other Entertainment for Children 19 and under Whatever you pack when you go to a fair, amusement park, anything that will only hold their attention just before they begin to whining stage of, "are we done," or "is there a concession stand?" This is not reserved for elementary age and younger. Trust me - I was witness to more than one tween and teen inquiring. As a parent, you may know what this is; 30 minutes, 1 hour...if you're goal is to see as much as possible for yourself, buy/bribe your time here.

Snacks All ages

Hand Sanitizer Be ready for Porta Potties

Good To Knows

Parking Most likely you'll be parking offsite and walking a bit to the entry point.

Surround By Tulip Pictures Probably not. These are working fields so walking into the middle of field to be surrounded by these amazing blooms is off-limits. Don't be these "those" people.

Watch Your Speed & Look for Pedestrians Going to and from the fields, officers are out keeping everyone safe. Be on the alert for tulip lovers to dart into the two-lane roads like children on Halloween.

Those are my tips! Comment your tips and experiences from this year or past Skagit Valley Tulip Festival!

This post is not sponsored, and all recommendations are based on my personal experiences.