It’s that time of year when the flowers burst forth, and once again, thousands of acres of blooming tulips will transform the fields of Skagit Valley into a tapestry of bright colors to further banish memories of a long dark winter. All the information you’ll need and more is available at the official Tulip Festival Website.

Unknown to all but perhaps a few real old-timers and local history buffs, Whatcom County used to be the seat of the tulip industry in this corner of the world. As an  HistoryLink Essay on Whatcom County details:

It was during this time [ca. 1890-1907] George Gibbs (considered the father of the flower bulb industry in the Northwest) moved his entire stock of lillium, candiums, and fresias bulbs to an old brickyard next to the former Fort Bellingham. In 1907, the U.S. Bureau of Plant Improvement set up its entire bulb stock of the National Botanical Gardens on a 10-acre plot next to Gibbs. The Bellingham Bulb Garden and Holland-American Company soon joined them. Tulips became so popular that in May 1920, the Tulip Time Festival was organized and Tulip Queen crowned. The next year 100,000 bulbs were planted. The bulb industry and festival continued until 1929 when a series of severe freezes forced the removal of the industry to Skagit County.

The following postcard from that period is a painting (or possibly a colorized B&W photograph) of tulip fields in the vicinity of Bellingham. Click image to view larger version.