Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

What Skagit Valley Tulip Festival does

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a private non-profit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington, that operates North America's largest annual tulip celebration. The festival aggregates four independently operated tulip garden venues — RoozenGaarde (60+ acres, operated by Washington Bulb Co., the largest U.S. tulip/daffodil grower), Tulip Town, Tulip Valley Farms, and Garden Rosalyn — into a unified 4-6 week spring tourism window drawing 450,000+ visitors from all 50 U.S. states and 85+ countries. Each garden sells its own admission tickets through Eventbrite, Ticketspice, and RegFox, with the festival organization functioning as the overarching brand, marketing layer, and community programming coordinator rather than the garden operator.

The festival generates revenue from four streams: (i) garden-admission ticket commissions/coordination, (ii) corporate sponsorships across 15+ named regional partners (financial services, energy, hospitality, food), (iii) official product licensing royalties (Pasek Cellars wine for 20+ years, plus beer, cider, jewelry, candles), and (iv) merchandise sales via a headquarters gift shop at 311 W. Kincaid St. and an online store. Complementary programming includes the annual Tulip Parade (37th in 2024), Mount Vernon Street Fair, art exhibit with 25-30 regional artists, an Ambassador Program for 4th-5th graders, and an annual photography contest — all supported by IFEA-awarded annual poster art.

Operations are run by a lean staff of 1-10 led by Executive Director Nicole Roozen (appointed November 2023), governed by an Executive Board (President Rob Ashby) and a Board of Directors comprising representatives from sponsoring organizations. The technology stack is non-proprietary: WordPress website, Google Analytics, a real-time bloom-status tracker with location-weather plugin integration, and standard email/newsletter and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok). The asset-light, event-driven model concentrates virtually all revenue and operating risk into a narrow spring seasonal window.

Name

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Legal name

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Website

https://tulipfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a Mount Vernon, Washington non-profit founded in 1987 that operates North America's largest annual tulip celebration across four garden venues, drawing 450,000+ visitors from 50 states and 85+ countries each spring via ticket sales, sponsorships, and licensed merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Festival & Event Tourism

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Parades, Carnivals & Street Fairs (MPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Tulip festival events
• Agricultural tourism
• Flower garden tours
• Festival merchandise sales
• Event sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Garden Admission Tickets: Revenue generated from ticket sales to four tulip garden venues (RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town, Tulip Valley Farms, Garden Rosalyn). Each garden requires individual admission with varying ticket prices and experience levels.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from local businesses including financial institutions (Savi/Harborstone, KeyBank, Heritage Bank), energy companies (HF Sinclair, Puget Sound Energy), hospitality (Swinomish Casino, Town & Country), and retail. Sponsors fund specific events, programs, and marketing materials.
3. Official Products & Merchandise: Official branded products including wine (Pasek Cellars), merchandise (posters, apparel, mugs, magnets), and specialty items. The festival receives a percentage of wholesale sales from official product partners.
4. Merchandise Sales: Festival merchandise sold through the headquarters gift shop and online store, including posters, apparel, and commemorative items featuring annual artwork.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival operates as North America's largest annual tulip celebration, coordinating seasonal visitor experiences across four official tulip garden venues (RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town, Tulip Valley Farms, Garden Rosalyn) that span more than 250 acres of blooms. The festival sells per-garden admission tickets, produces community events (annual parade, art exhibit, street fair), and licenses official festival merchandise including annual posters and co-branded wine products.

Product overview

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is North America's largest annual tulip celebration offering a unified portfolio of products and experiences centered around tulip viewing across four official garden venues (RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town, Tulip Valley Farms, and Garden Rosalyn). The core festival experience includes tulip garden admissions with individual tickets per venue, complemented by community events such as the annual parade, street fair, and art exhibits. Supporting programs include the Tulip Ambassador youth leadership program and an annual photo contest. The festival also offers merchandise including official posters, apparel, and licensed products like wine and beer featuring annual artist designs. Additional attractions include guided tours and partnerships with local nurseries, with the Bloom Status Tracker serving as an essential planning tool for visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tulip Garden Admission Tickets Individual admission tickets to four official tulip garden venues: RoozenGaarde (60+ acres with display garden and fields), Tulip Town (family-friendly with trolley rides and indoor displays), Tulip Valley Farms (U-pick experience and Night Bloom evenings), and Garden Rosalyn (boutique curated displays). For visitors seeking to view seasonal tulip blooms across Skagit Valley.
• Annual Tulip Festival Parade Annual community parade held in La Conner along 1st Street, featuring farm vehicles, costumed marchers, animals, and community entries. For festival visitors and local community members.
• Tulip Festival Art Exhibit A celebration of local artist creativity featuring original tulip-themed artwork displayed throughout April. Showcases 25-30 pieces from artists in Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan, Island, or Snohomish Counties, with a People's Choice Award and opportunity for winning artwork to become the official festival poster. For regional artists and festival visitors.
• Official Festival Posters Annual limited-edition festival posters created by featured artists, with each poster artist interpreting the festival's spirit through their unique lens to create collectible keepsakes. For collectors, art enthusiasts, and festival visitors.
• Festival Merchandise Online and physical merchandise store selling official festival posters, apparel, mugs, magnets, and other branded items featuring annual poster artwork. For festival visitors and collectors.
• Official Wine and Beer Products Licensed official products including Pasek Cellars Tulip Red wine (official wine for over 20 years), along with beer, cider, jewelry, candles, chocolate bars, and other local products featuring annual festival artwork. Available at tasting room and Washington grocery stores. For adult consumers and gift purchasers.
• Guided Bike Tours Self-guided and group cycling tours through the festival on comfort-style rental bikes, with 4-hour maximum rental. Group tours for 10+ available with a local guide at additional cost. For active visitors seeking a different perspective on the tulip fields.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450,000+ annual visitors generating significant regional economic impact
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Savi, Powered by Harborstone Credit UnionflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Sponsor of the Annual Tulip Festival Parade and debut sponsor of the Children's Activity Book. Team members led the parade route, hosted KidZone booth with free kettle corn, and helped further festival's mission of agricultural education.
• HF Sinclair Puget Sound RefineryflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Sponsor of the Ambassador Program, helping local 4th and 5th grade students grow as young leaders while representing the festival throughout the season.
• The Skagit Casino ResortcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Sponsor of the Tulip Festival Art Exhibit, supporting local artists and the growing tradition of showcasing creativity during tulip season.
• Skagit Valley Food Co-opcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Bloom Status Sponsor supporting essential festival updates that help visitors plan their experience based on ever-changing tulip conditions.
• Puget Sound EnergycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Sponsor of 'Plan Your Trip' guides, helping extend festival experience beyond tulip fields into wider Skagit County tourism.
• KeyBankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Brochure Title Sponsor supporting the official festival brochure with detailed maps, local business highlights, and visitor information.
• Town & Country Motorcoach & RV ResortcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Opening Ceremony Title Sponsor officially welcoming the start of tulip season with an evening of community celebration.
• Swinomish Casino & LodgeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Entertainment Sponsor for the 2026 Opening Ceremony, supporting the kickoff event for tulip season.
• Heritage BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Entertainment Sponsor for the 2026 Opening Ceremony, supporting the kickoff event for tulip season.
• North Coast Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Tulip Festival Photo Contest Sponsor, helping celebrate creativity of community and visitors through annual photography competition.
• Global Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Parade KidZone Sponsor helping make family-friendly parade activities extra special for children and families.
• Ziply FiberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Parade KidZone Sponsor helping share internet safety importance within the community.
• Pasek CellarscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official wine partner for over 20 years, producing Tulip Red wine and other varietals with festival labels. Available at tasting room and Washington grocery stores.
• Washington Bulb Company / RoozenGaardeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent board member Leo Roozen represents the largest grower of tulips and daffodils in the United States. Washington Bulb Company operates RoozenGaarde, one of the four main festival gardens.
• Tulip TowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRachael Ward-Sparwasser represents Tulip Town on the board. One of four official festival gardens offering family-friendly tulip experiences.
• Town & Country Motorcoach & RV ResortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRV resort offering relaxing getaway in Skagit Valley with spacious RV sites, full hookups, Wi-Fi, and clubhouse with restaurant and lounge areas. Located minutes from tulips and downtown Mount Vernon.
• Skagit Valley Food Co-opminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food co-op in Mount Vernon featuring organic produce, artisan groceries, deli, café, and Mercantile gift shop. Bloom Status Title Sponsor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Tulip Festival: Annual tulip festival in Ottawa, Canada. Comparable as a major international tulip celebration with ticketed gardens, community programming, and significant international tourism draw, though hosted in a different country.
• Tulip Time Festival: Annual tulip festival held in Holland, Michigan. Closely comparable to Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in mission and operation—a multi-week community tulip celebration featuring gardens, parades, and street fairs drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each spring.
• Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival: Spring tulip festival at Wooden Shoe Vineyards in Woodburn, Oregon. Operates a similar tulip-viewing and U-pick experience in the Pacific Northwest with on-site events, food, and merchandise, directly competing for tulip-festival visitors in the same regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Butchart Gardens: Destination garden operation in British Columbia, Canada. Comparable as a ticketed, year-round destination garden with strong visitor traffic and seasonal programming, but with broader horticultural scope beyond tulips.
• Longwood Gardens: Major horticultural destination garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Comparable as a large, ticketed garden attraction with seasonal programming and educational events, though broader in scope and operating year-round rather than seasonally.
• Keukenhof: World's largest flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands. Comparable as a destination tulip experience with ticketed garden admissions and global tourism draw, but operates at much larger scale as a permanent, broader flower garden rather than an annual community festival.

Emerging players

• Descanso Gardens: Horticultural destination garden in La Cañada Flintridge, California. Comparable as a ticketed garden attraction with seasonal programming and membership revenue, though specializing in camellias and broader horticulture rather than tulips.
• Portland Japanese Garden: Destination garden and cultural attraction in Portland, Oregon. Comparable as a ticketed, brand-led garden attraction in the Pacific Northwest with cultural programming and merchandise sales, though focused on Japanese horticulture rather than tulips.

Regional players

• Holland America Flower Festival: Annual flower festival held in Bollenstreek, Netherlands. Comparable as a regional tulip and bulb-flower celebration with ticketed garden experiences and parade programming, but primarily serves European visitors.
• Floriade: International horticulture exhibition held in Canberra, Australia. Comparable as a large-scale, ticketed floral festival with garden displays and cultural programming, but operates on a decennial cadence and primarily serves Australian visitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@skagitvalleytulipfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkagitValleyTulipFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/skagitvalleytulipfestival
• TikToktiktok.com/@skagitvalleytulipfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skagit-valley-tulip-festival

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skagit Valley Tulip Festival