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The annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival south of the line in Mount Vernon, Washington has been a huge annual event for years. Now a local Abbotsford farm has created the Abbotsford Tulip Festival, also running throughout the month of April. Last Friday my wife and I decided to check it out.
Compared to the Skagit event which comprises many farms and covers 300 acres, the Abbotsford event is a small affair – around ten acres. And there is an admission charge of $5 a person. Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable visit and it is worth checking out if you want to see fields of tulips but don’t want to travel to the USA to see them.
The farm is on the North Parallel Road in eastern Abbotsford, just past Castle Fun Park. Just take the Whatcom Road exit of Highway # 1, head north cross the highway and immediately turn right onto the North Parallel Road. It is just up the road a bit.
There is plenty of parking on a gravel covered lot. Admission includes parking. Near the parking lot is a large tent with picnic tables, a bank of porta-potties, and a collection of amusements for children including rubber duck races, bean bag toss and tetherball.
From this staging area, you walk along a woodchip covered path to the tulip fields. Along the way you pass crates of tulips of different varieties. There are also a lot of park benches along the way.
A short jaunt and you’re at the fields. They cover ten acres that are visible from the highway. Mount Baker serves as an attractive back drop to the south while Sumas Mountain forms a backdrop to the north.
We walked along the figure eight walking path through the fields admiring the many different varieties of bulbs. Most were blooming though there were a number of rows not yet in bloom.
In any event, pictures tell a better story than words so I’ll just end with a collection of photos. If you’re in the greater Vancouver area, just head east on Highway # 1 to the Whatcom Road exit. If you’re a flower lover, it’s worth the trip. Check out their website, Abbotsford Tulip Festival, for more.
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