This year’s crazy weather seems to have made the Skagit Valley tulips’ blooming season all wonky, so the fine folks at the Tulip Festival ^[1] have decided to extend the festivities a few days, until Sunday. All of the other activities–Deception Pass tours, wine tastings, and so on–will keep going too.

Last year I played hooky and went up to the festival in the morning on a weekday. The fields were mostly empty of people and we happened on a cidery that was in the middle of bottling a new batch, and they were more than willing to let a couple of visitors have a taste or three.

According to the Skagit Valley Herald ^[2], “Many businesses planned tulip-related events based somewhat on last season’s bloom — which saw tulips out relatively early — only to see this year’s bloom come very late…There are still acres of blooming tulips and even a few spots where tulips are yet to fully bloom. Flowers at the two display gardens, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town, are in full force and will remain so through the end of the festival.”

The Bloom map ^[3] can tell you where to go to find the fields that are still in color.