Lehi — Thanksgiving Point is proud to announce the return of our annual Tulip Festival (www.thanksgivingpoint.org) at the Ashton Gardens from April 9-May 8, closed Sundays. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, last year’s festival was closed to in-person viewing and was highlighted in the first ‘Virtual Tulip Festival’.
Guests will return this year and see nearly 300,000 tulips, in over a hundred unique varieties, spread across the 50-acre Ashton Gardens for the Tulip Festival. Golf carts, wheelchairs, and electric scooters are also available to rent, if available. Guests are required to reserve tickets online at thanksgivingpoint.org as admissions are still limited inside the Ashton Gardens.
The 2021 Tulip Festival will be the public’s first chance to view the one-and-only ‘Thanksgiving Point Tulip’ or the ‘tulipa Thanksgiving Point’. It is a sunny yellow, highly fragrant, lily-flowering tulip. It was chosen from the tulip breeding program at Ruigrok Flowerbulbs in the Netherlands and was registered on the International Register of Tulip Names in 2020.
The Tulip Festival is one of the most popular events in Utah with more than 100,000 guests visiting each year. The tulip display is redesigned with tulips imported directly from Holland to create a new display each festival. At the Tulip Festival’s conclusion, the tulip bulbs from the event go on sale for around four dollars per dozen to create mini–Tulip Festivals in yards across Utah.
This year’s Tulip Festival includes:
- Cut Tulips
Cut Tulips will be $10 for five stems. They will be sold from 11 am-7 pm with purchases being made in the greenhouse and selection of tulips being made in the Learning Garden, while tulips last.
- Guided Garden Walks
Included with Ashton Garden admission and FREE for Thanksgiving Point members. Advance ticket reservation required. Monday-Friday, 9:30 am. Learn about Ashton Gardens, its history, and the plants within. Led by our garden docents, this walking tour takes about 1.5 hours and is included with regular venue admission. Tuesdays feature the Trees of Ashton Gardens. Garden Walks depart from the back patio.
- Children’s Activities in the Tulip Tot Playland – Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am – 6 pm
Crafts, activities, games, and more for the whole family! Included with admission.
- Tulip Festival 5K– April 24
Back for more fun in the sun at the Tulip Festival 5K. This entirely in the Ashton Gardens amongst the variety of tulips scattered throughout.
- American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic – May 8, 7:30 pm
The Tulip Festival closes with a fantastic finish with this amazing concert. The American Heritage Lyceum Orchestra performs against a gorgeous garden backdrop you won’t want to miss. Concert is not included with admission.
- Tulip Festival Photo Contest
Enter your favorite photos of the 2021 Tulip Festival using hashtag #TulipPhotoContest and tagging Thanksgiving Point on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (Make sure your post is set to public!).
Starting April 16th, each Friday during the festival Thanksgiving Point judges will select a Photo of the Week which will be featured on Thanksgiving Point’s Instagram page (@thankspoint), and on the Thanksgiving Point marquee for the duration of the week. Each chosen photo will also win a Thanksgiving Point Family Membership.
The Tulip Festival hours are 9 am to 8 pm, Monday-Saturday. Advanced admission is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and children aged 13-24, children aged 3-12 are $15 when booked online at thanksgivingpoint.org. Walk-up pricing is slightly higher. Due to limited capacity, Advanced Tickets are strongly encouraged. Entrance is free to Thanksgiving Point Members and children under two.
The Ashton Gardens is located at 3900 N. Garden Dr. in Lehi, Utah.
For more information, visit thanksgivingpoint.org.