Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
SUN Thru April 30 Tulip and Daffodil fields in bloom around Mt. Vernon and LaConner in Skagit County. Directions and parking
(www.tulipfestival.org)
Planning your Tulip Festival trip: Before you leave, bookmark or print the field map. Take I-5 north towards Bellingham. Just past Mt. Vernon take exit 230 or exit 231 and turn left. Follow the field map to drive by the tulip and daffodil fields. Some fields allow self guided walking tours. Be careful to park legally. There are also several farms that charge a few dollars admission. These places have demonstration fields with many colors as well as amenities like restrooms, food vendors and gift shops. The two biggest are Tulip Town and Roozengaarde. The locations of these are also shown on the field map. Note: farm roads were not designed to handle heavy traffic. I recommend planning to arrive early to avoid jams.
Taste Washington
SAT-SUN Wine tasting from from more than 200 local wineries plus food from local restaurants at CenturyLink Field Event Center. Map
(tastewashington.org)
Washington Cask Beer Festival
SAT Handcrafted cask-conditioned beers from innovative regional breweries, admission includes a commemorative tasting cup and tastes at the Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion Map
(www.washingtonbeer.com)
Emerald City COMICON
FRI-SUN The Premier comic book & pop culture convention in the Pacific NW since 2003. Artists, celebrities and hundreds of booths at the Washington State Convention Center. Map
(www.emeraldcitycomicon.com)
Best of the Northwest
FRI-SUN Spring Art & Fine Craft show featuring local artisans at Magnuson Park. Map
(www.nwartalliance.com)
Cherry Blossom Viewing
Cherry blossom viewing or “hanami,” is a tradition in Japanese culture. As Japanese people began immigrating to the United States during the latter part of the 1800’s, they would plant cherry trees wherever they lived. in 1976 the Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki gifted Seattle with 1,000 Japanese cherry blossom trees to celebrate the country’s bicentennial. These trees were planted along Lake Washington Boulevard and Seward Park, and the Seattle area has many additional Japanese cherry trees in numerous public and private spaces.
Location for great hanami in the Seattle area: Lake Washington Boulevard, The Seattle Center, the Arboretum, the Japanese Garden, the University of Washington, Seward Park, Woodland Park, and the Seattle Buddhist Church Wysteria Plaza.
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