Today's #TulipFact: Tulips often make people think of the Dutch and of their magnificent Keukenhof Gardens. But they are not the only ones who love the flower, and Keukenhof is far from the only celebration. Every year, enormous Tulip Festivals are held in Turkey, Canada, India, the United States, and more.
Some of the most popular Tulip festivals are:
- The Keukenhof Gardens
- Location: The Netherlands
- Dates: March 23 to May 21
- Website: https://keukenhof.nl/en/
- At the center of the Tulip world sits Keukenhof - the massive Dutch garden that every year colors the countryside. Visible to inbound travelers flying by plane, entire strips of land become vivid yellows, purples, pinks, and other gorgeous colors. Seven million bulbs are planted each year, used to display the living catalogues of five hundred flower growers. Without a doubt, Keukenhof should be at the top of any Tulip Lover's travel wishlist!
- Istanbul Tulip Festival
- Location: Istanbul, Turkey
- Timing: Late March to Late April
- Website: https://worldloveflowers.com/events/istanbul-tulip-festival-2018/
- Every year since 2006, the city government in Istanbul has planted millions of Tulips in the city's parks, avenues, roundabouts, and anywhere else where open ground is available. Estimates for 2017 put the total number planted at a stunning 30 million - which would mean four times as many Tulips as Keukenhof. The result is a glorious, city-wide festival that floods the city with color.
- Canadian Tulip Festival
- Location: Ottowa, Canada
- Timing: Mid-May
- Website: http://www.tulipfestival.ca/
- The Tulip is the official flower of Ottawa, and the city has been thrown a festival in its honor since 1953. The Tulip also holds broader meaning in Canada as it symbolizes a strong friendship forged between the Canadians and Dutch during World War II, when the Dutch Queen fled there in order to evade Nazi invaders. After the war, she presented Ottawa with a massive gift of Tulip bulbs. Even today, the festival's mandate is to preserve and celebrate the relationship between the two nations. Each year, over two million bulbs are planted, blooming in forty locations across Ottawa.
- Tulip Time Festival
- Location: Holland, Michigan, United States
- Timing: Early to mid-May
- Website: https://www.tuliptime.com
- Since 1929, the city of Holland, Michigan has blossomed with hundreds of thousands of Tulips. The event's mission is to celebrate Holland's Tulips, Dutch heritage, and community, and every year the blooms wash over the city's parks.
- Tesselaar Tulip Festival
- Location: Silvan, Australia
- Timing: Mid-September to early October
- Website: http://tulipfestival.com.au/
- In the Southern hemisphere, Spring comes in September, making this the perfect Tulip festival for the off-season. It is home to more than forty nurseries and plant growers, and provides a wonderful mix of both small and large flowers. As an added benefit, many of the flowers are also available for picking and purchasing :)
- Srinagar Tulip Festival
- Location: Kashmir, India
- Timing: Late March
- Website: https://www.indianholiday.com/fairs-and-festivals/jammu-kashmir/tulip-festival.html
- Launched in 2007 as a way to boost tourism for a small town in India, this festival rapidly grew into one of South Asia's most popular events. Sharing over sixty varieties of Tulips, visitors have declared that the flowers make the streets appear lined with carpet.
- Albany Tulip Festival
- Location: Albany, New York, United States
- Timing: Mid-May
- Website: http://www.albanyevents.org/events/Albany-Tulip-Festival_2_event_main.htm
- The Tulip Festival is Albany's signature Spring event. More than 140,000 Tulips are planted representing 150 different varieties. Better yet, it all takes place in Washington Park, the 81-acre "crown jewel" of the city.
And best of all, this list only represents a handful of the many Tulip festivals that occur every year around the world. If you have an opportunity to go, I wouldn't miss it :).
Image source: Design-Dautore