Dating back to 1984, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a monthlong festival devoted to a single flower that comes in many colors: the tulip. You might have seen it around Instagram, or heard of it as a great thing to do with your mom. It's mostly around the town of Mount Vernon, though La Conner can also be used as a base.

The festival lasts the entire month of April with many farms opening in late March while blooms are usually just peeking out for the first time. Flowers tend to bloom throughout the month, though predicting their peak can be tricky. Find a regular report on the current petal status on the Tulip Festival website, or Roozengaarde's field-by-field bloom map.

Gardeners have long known that the Pacific Northwest, and particularly the rich Skagit Valley soil about an hour north of Seattle, holds ideal conditions for this particular flower. Dutch immigrant William Roozen (whose name conveniently means “roses”) came from a tulip-farming family in Holland and built the Roozengaarde tulip empire here in the last century—though the business actually farms more daffodil acres than any other flower.

The biggest draw comes from just spectating the sprawling fields of color: Gawk at them, take photos in them, and stroll among the bold hues' otherworldly beauty. 

Four farms comprise the festival, with Roozengaarde and Tulip Town being the pair of historical mainstays. The former is famous for its fields that stretch wide with blocks of color—a whopping 50 acres. Tulip Town, a smaller operation at six acres, scores entertainment points with trolley rides, an aesthetic beer garden, and funky photo ops. 

In recent years, Garden Rosalyn and Tulip Valley Farms joined the action, the latter bringing the festival's first illuminated nighttime field experiences and the only U-pick option among the four farms. 

The festival otherwise celebrates the entire Skagit Valley with concerts, art shows, and a giant parade in La Conner on April 11. Tulip Town hosts Easter festivities—including a boozy adult egg hunt—on April 4 and 5.

Daydreams of traipsing—or Instagramming—through a tulip field are quickly squashed by firm reminders to stay on marked paths. Farms have carved muddy nooks into the tulip rows for the purpose, so unless you planned to backstroke through tulips, you'll get your fill. Most farms don't allow ticket holders to pick the stems; Tulip Valley is the exception for those dreaming of DIY bouquets. 

Wildly so; most farms sell timed tickets and urge visitors to consider a midweek trip to beat the crowds. Be prepared for long lines of traffic—on foot around the tulip fields and on the rural roads that surround Mount Vernon.