Tulip festival

File:AlbanyNY Tulip Festival.jpg

Tulip Festival in Albany, 2007

Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon. 2007

Tulip Festivals are held in several cities around the world, mostly in North America — usually in cities with a Dutch heritage — such as Albany, New York; Ottawa, Ontario; Gatineau, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; Holland, Michigan; Lehi, Utah; Orange City, Iowa; Pella, Iowa; Mount Vernon, Washington; and Woodburn, Oregon, and in other countries such as Australia India and England. The tulips are considered a welcome harbinger of spring, and a tulip festival permits residents to see them at their best advantage. The festivals are also popular tourist attractions. The tulips are displayed throughout the cities. In certain years the peak of tulips does not coincide with the actual festival due to climatic conditions.

Asia

• Srinagar, India celebrates Tulip Festival in the month of April in the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, which is considered to be largest Tulip garden in Asia.

Europe

• Spalding, England had an annual Tulip Parade that took place on the first Saturday in May until 2013. In its heyday it was a major tourist attraction, comprising a procession of floats on various themes, each decorated with tulip petals, a by-product of the bulb industry. Tulips are no longer grown commercially in this part of Lincolnshire.
• National Tulip Day, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Tulip festival in Amsterdam. Every year in January.

North America

Canada

• The Canadian Tulip Festival, which claims to be the world's largest tulip festival, is a major event held annually each May in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. During World War II, the Dutch Royal Family took refuge in Canada. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born at Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1943, and the Canadian government declared the land to be extraterritorial. This was done to ensure that the princess would have Dutch citizenship. Every year since, Queen Juliana and the royal family after her death have sent tulip bulbs for the festival.

United States

File:Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.jpg

Tulips fields in full bloom on Earth Day, 2011, in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

The tulip-festivals are being held in honour of the Dutch-American immigrants who brought the (then highly expensive) tulips to the Americas.

Eastern US

• The Tulip Festival of Albany, New York is set in Albany’s historic Washington Park. Each year, this traditional Albany event greets spring with thousands of tulips blooming in a myriad of colors and varieties. Thousands from across the Capital District and beyond come to Tulip Fest each May to celebrate Albany’s rich Dutch heritage.

Central US

• Belle Plaine, Kansas, home of the Bartlett Arboretum has held its Tulip Time Festival on the third weekend in April since 1986 with arts and craft, live music, carnival, and other fun and games. Belle Plaine used to be famous for having the most tulips planted in one spot in the USA.
• Fulton, Illinois's Dutch Days festival is held the first weekend of every May. It was first celebrated as an "Authentic Dutch Dinner" in 1974 by the local Christian school.
• Orange City, Iowa's Tulip Festival is celebrated annually on the 3rd weekend in May is held dear by Orange City's inhabitants with a flower show, an evening performance of a Broadway play, afternoon and evening parades, and street dancing by old and young alike. The festival begins on Wednesday for the locals and continues through Saturday drawing over 150,000 people.
• Pella, Iowa's Tulip Time festival, also celebrated in early May, began in 1935 in celebration of the town's heritage. It is a three-day event that features street washing parades, costumed wooden shoe dancers, wooden shoe carving demonstrations, street vendors selling poffertjes and an antique Dutch street organ.
• The Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan is held in early May and is the largest tulip festival in the United States, boasting over 4.5 million tulips and drawing over 600,000 visitors each year.

Western US

• Lehi, Utah's Thanksgiving Point hosts a tulip festival during April and May. The three weekend festival includes daffodils and tulips, garden tours, performances, and activities. One Friday and Saturday weekend includes Dutch Days with Dutch music, dance, and food.
• Lynden, Washington's Holland Days festival is held the first weekend of every traditional song and dance, and Dutch markets.
• The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington has been held every April since 1983. Featuring dozens of tulip and daffodil fields as well as display gardens, gift shops, and tour activities, this festival attracts visitors of all ages.
• Woodburn, Oregon has been celebrating its Tulip Fest every year starting in March since 1986.

Oceania

Australia

• Bowral, New South wales Tulip Time Festival, held each spring since 1960 (Website)
• Silvan, Victoria The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is held every September-October at the The Tulip Farm, 357 Monbulk Rd.

Gallery

• Bed of tulips at a Tulip Festival.JPG

  Tulips at Dow's Lake during 2005 Ottawa Tulip Festival

• Garden of the Provinces and Territories - Tulip Festival - 2.jpg

  Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, Ontario, 2007

• SkagitCountyTulipFestival.jpg

  Tulip Festival, Mount Vernon, Washington, 2007

External links

• Albany (NY) Tulip Festival
• Canadian Tulip Festival
• Holland's festival
• Pella's festival
• Orange City's festival
• Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
• Woodburn, Oregon festival
• Fulton's Dutch Days Festival
• Tesselaar Tulip Festival Silvan Australia
• Spalding Flower Parade England
• Tulip Festival at Vendeuvre France