Already seen tulips in Skagit Valley? How about over the border?
The annual tulip bloom is almost here but Skagit County isn’t the only place to enjoy them.
Folks in Whatcom County might also want to consider making the drive north across the border for tulip festivals in British Columbia.
Chilliwack Tulip Festival
The Chilliwack Tulip Festival is an hour’s drive northeast of Bellingham, in the town of Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley.
It was launched in 2006 and is the largest tulip festival in British Columbia. About 8.5 million tulip bulbs bloom each year on more than 20 acres.
The festival features more than 30 tulip varieties and more than 16 types of double daffodils.
Timing for the spring festival is weather dependent but typically welcomes visitors in April. This year, Chilliwack announced in an Instagram post on April 11 that the festival will begin welcoming visitors on April 19 for the 2023 season.
“We have learned to wait (to announce the opening date) until two weeks in advance so that we know there will be blooms when we open,” said Chilliwack Tulip Festival owner Kate Onos-Gilbert in a telephone interview with The Bellingham Herald.
“When we gave notices in advance and then had either a cold spring or a warm spring, we always were wrong.”
Ticket prices will cost “less than a boring movie and dinner, more than a dollar store,” according to the festival’s website. Tickets will be available for purchase online only and will be the same price as last year, according to Onos-Gilbert.
General pricing on weekends:
▪ Advance purchase: $20.
▪ Same-day purchase: $25.
General pricing on weekdays:
▪ Advance purchase: $15.
▪ Same-day purchase: $20.
The festival’s website offers detailed directions to the farm and parking is free.
The tulip fields are open seven days a week during the bloom season, according to the website.
▪ Monday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Saturday-Sunday: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Abbotsford Tulip Festival
The Abbotsford Tulip Festival is also returning this year for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. But this time, it will be at Lakeland Flower Farm in the Fraser Valley under new ownership.
The festival features over 70 different varieties of tulips across 27 acres of land. It will also have food trucks and live music nights.
Lakeland Flowers will be open to the public from April 14 to May 14, with a planned closure April 17 through April 19 due to weather conditions. Visitors can enjoy the flowers seven days a week from 8 a.m to dusk.
Visitors can buy tickets online. Prices range from $8 – $25. Parking is free.
Fresh-cut tulips will be available for purchase at the farm. Visitors are encouraged to check the farm’s field report before deciding to visit. It details the bloom status, accessibility status and current weather.
