Spring Into Color at These Northwest Flower Festivals

Right about the time we start craving the sunshine’s warmth, the flowers in the northwest are getting the same idea. After spending the chilly winter hibernating and storing energy, bulbs and flowering trees are ready to put on a show and the Pacific Northwest is awash in color from April through July. Pack your camera, put on your garden boots and check out these flower festivals to cure your spring fever.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Mount Vernon, WA

Every April, the Skagit Valley, about 60 miles north of Seattle off I-5, celebrates the largest tulip festival in the country. According to the Washington State University Master Gardeners Program, approximately 1,000 acres of tulips and daffodils are grown and about 20 million bulbs are harvested each summer in Skagit County. You’ll want your camera as you wander dozens of acres of display gardens at four grower locations, take a farm tour and purchase flowers and bulbs. Local wineries, breweries, restaurants and shops join the festivities with tours, tastings, performances and demonstrations. Attend English Tea at Willowbrook Manor (every Friday and Saturday in April), bring the whole family to watch the La Conner Tulip Parade or enjoy a wild salmon BBQ put on by the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Noon Club (April 25-27). Visit on a weekday if your schedule allows; weekends can be busy. No drones are allowed, and parking is free at all four gardens. Visit tulipfestival.org to purchase tickets, check the bloom status and view the interactive map.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, Woodburn, OR

The Wooden Shoe Flower Farm’s tulips bloom from late March until early May, and they generally expect the best overlap of color in mid-April. Though every year is different as their tulips bloom based on growing degree days. You can explore over 100 varieties of tulips and experience children’s activities, food trucks and guided family farm tours. Weekend activities include wooden shoe making and steam tractor demonstrations as well as wine tours and a craft marketplace featuring local and handmade goods. Wrap up your visit at the Tulip Market or Field Greenhouse Tent to purchase cut flowers, potted bulbs and merchandise and to preorder bulbs for your own garden. Parking and a shuttle are included with admission, and well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome. Learn more and purchase admission/tour tickets at woodenshoe.com/events/tulip-fest

Portland Rose Festival, Portland, OR

One of Portland’s nicknames is “The Rose City” because, in preparation to host the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, the city planted around 10,000 rose bushes along the streets (although the soil is perfect for roses, they are not native to the area). At the same time, an annual fundraising event by the Portland Rose Society was growing in popularity. In 1907, the city, with help from the Rose Society, introduced its first official Rose Festival that has endured for more than a century. This celebration of the diverse culture and community of Portland runs for three weeks in May and June and features fleet week, which welcomes home members of the U.S. Navy; a carnival with rides and games; not one, but three parades; a treasure hunt; and a milk carton boat race where contestants race boats made of recycled milk cartons and jugs. Be sure to visit the Washington Park International Rose Test Garden where over 610 varieties of roses have been cultivated since World War I when, for fear of varieties being destroyed by war, hybridists began sending roses from around the world to the garden. Find event information at rosefestival.org, and learn more about visiting the rose garden at portland.gov/parks

Schreiner Iris Gardens Bloom Season Event, Salem, OR

Visit Schreiner’s Gardens between May 10-31, 2025, and help them celebrate their 100-year anniversary! You can walk the formal display gardens, iris fields, purchase cut flowers and shop for garden tools and gifts at the shop. If you’re an artist, bring a picnic lunch and spend the day painting or drawing in the garden. Avoid the crowds and photograph the blooms during the morning golden hour with early-bird tickets or visit Memorial Day weekend to shop at the artists’ market. There is free parking and leashed dogs are welcome. Drones are not allowed. Purchase tickets at schreinersgardens.com/ pages/iris-bloom-season

Florence Rhododendron Festival, Florence, OR

This quintessential community festival, held the third weekend in May on the central Oregon coast, kicks off with the crowning of Queen Rhododendra and The King of the Coast. Discover hundreds of wild and cultivated species of rhododendrons (“rhodies” for short) at the Florence Rhododendron Society’s annual show, admire classic cars and motorcycles at the cruise-in and car show and line up for the grand floral parade. This is the second oldest flower festival in Oregon, just one year younger than the Portland Rose Festival, and third oldest on the West Coast behind the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California. Visit florencechamber.com/ rhododendron-festival for more information.

Mount Pisgah Arboretum Wildflower & Music Festival, Eugene, OR

This one-day music festival celebrates the beauty of Oregon’s native plants and local music. Browse a wildflower display featuring over 200 local species and listen to live music. Enjoy an immersive experience as you discover art installations made from natural materials along the Art in Nature Trail or take a guided educational nature walk with a local expert. Plants, arts and crafts and food are available for purchase. For more information and tickets, visit mountpisgaharboretum.org/festivals-events/wildflower-music-festival

Cherry Hill Farms Annual Blossom Festival, Caldwell, ID

The farm’s Caldwell location, just outside of Boise, hosts self-guided drives through their spring cherry blossoms during the month of April. It’s a great place to take the kids in their cutest spring outfits for the opportunity to capture the perfect photograph. The drive is about 15-20 minutes long and ends at the farm’s fruit stand where you can purchase food and cherry products and pre-order summer peaches. You’ll also find baby animals, barrel carts, a playground area, fire pits and face-painting for a fun family outing. Visit cherryhillfarms.com/caldwell-id for details.

Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Hill City, Idaho

Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh WMA is a high prairie wetland about 90 minutes southeast of Boise. Thousands of people visit in late May to early June to observe the Camas Lily bloom, flooding the prairie with small violet or blue star-shaped clusters of flowers. Historically, the Bannock, Shoshoni and Northern Paiute tribes hunted and gathered camas bulbs, a food source for many indigenous tribes in the Pacific Northwest, on the Camas Prairie. Birders and photographers alike flock here (pun intended) to see the waterfowl and shore birds such as snow geese and northern pintail ducks that feed and nest there. Be aware that there is no designated camping and limited public facilities but maintained gravel roads provide easy access to the area. Visit www.idfg.idaho.gov for more information.

If you’re not up for crowds, you can still seek out species-specific displays and botanical gardens or arboretums near you. Municipal parks, university campuses and master gardener extensions are great places to explore local species during the spring blooming season. Or head to the trails in search of native wildflowers. Check your state or national park service website for peak bloom season near you.