Maximize Your Tulip Festival Success: Key Insights from the 2025 Season

Spring 2025 brought a vivid reminder that tulip festivals aren’t about selling flowers, they’re about creating unforgettable experiences. Across the U.S. and Canada, tulip farms bloomed into sought-after seasonal attractions, even as unpredictable weather tested farm operators in several regions. The season showed us that with the right strategy, from timing your opening to launching a powerful marketing campaign, tulip festivals can deliver beauty, revenue, and lasting guest loyalty.

Let’s take a closer look at what worked in 2025, and how to turn those lessons into a successful 2026 season.

2025 Season Recap: What We Saw & What We Learned

Weather’s Regional Impact

• Southern States: Intense early heat led to compressed seasons and forced some operators to close early. Flexibility and speed-to-market were key.

• Northwest & Northeast: Cooler temps gave these regions longer bloom periods and a more gradual ramp-up in traffic, leading to sustained attendance.

Growth in Competition

• A record number of new tulip farms and festivals popped up nationwide.

• With this growth came a wave of aggressive marketing, particularly from established festivals aiming to maintain dominance.

• New tulip farms launched across the U.S. and Canada, representing one of the fastest-growing event categories within the agritourism sector.

• Staple community festivals such as Holland, Michigan’s Tulip Time Festival and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington have doubled down on promotions to drive guests into their city centers during city garden tulip bloom periods.  

Guests Want More Than Blooms

Today’s tulip festival attendees aren’t looking for flower arrangements, they’re looking for an adventure. Your fields are the backdrop for experiences, not transactions.

Visitors are drawn to:

• Immersive environments with curated trails, themed zones, and scenic photo ops.

• Emotionally engaging moments they can capture, share, and revisit.

• Add-ons that elevate the day, from tulip-inspired treats to branded merchandise.

The tulips are what get them there, but the experience is what brings them back.

Timing: When You Open and Close Matters

Open Early, Own the Narrative

Don’t wait for the “perfect” bloom, plan for the perfect experience. Starting earlier than peak bloom can help capture early demand and ease the pressure of a single “perfect” weekend. 

Remind guests that tulips are best picked before they fully open, when their colors are most vibrant and petals tight. That’s when they offer the longest vase life and visual impact.

But success isn’t just about timing, it's about transparency. Clear, current website messaging, weekly updates, and honest expectations help guests feel confident and excited before, during, and after their visit.

Plus, offering more than just tulips, like photo ops, food, or family-friendly features, ensures there's always value, even if the flowers aren’t at full show.

The right opening date isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about managing momentum and delivering a consistently positive guest experience from day one.

Keep the Gates Open Post-Peak

Color, charm, and photo-worthy scenes linger well beyond peak bloom. Many guests simply want the feel of spring, even if the flowers aren’t at their fullest.

Avoid slashing ticket prices late in the season. It trains guests to wait for discounts and

devalues the overall experience. Instead, focus on the “final chance” message to drive urgency and full-price attendance.

Invest in Marketing Like You Invest in Tulips

Planting your bulbs is only half the job. Without a strategic marketing plan, your fields might bloom beautifully, only to be seen by too few.

Why You Can’t Afford to Skip It

Tulip festivals have tight windows, fickle weather, and lots of competition. That means:

• Timing is everything, and it must align with messaging.

• Your audience is distracted, so you need standout content in the right places.

What a Winning Strategy Looks Like

• Pre-Season Campaigns to build awareness and anticipation

• Real-Time Bloom Updates via email and social media

• Paid Ad Placement with geo-targeting, platform-specific creative, and clear CTAs

Your investment in tulips only pays off when matched with investment in visibility.

Tulip Festival Guest Snapshot

Here’s a quick look at who’s visiting:

• Median Household Income: $87,612

• Education: 41.57% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher

• Average Visit Duration: 32.1 minutes

• Top Segments: Affluent families, educated suburbanites, urban professionals, and younger generations driven by social media-worthy experiences

Choose the Right Ticketing Partner

Seamless ticketing can significantly boost conversions and guest satisfaction. In 2025, top-performing festivals prioritized:

• Timed or Date-Specific Ticketing: Better crowd control, improved guest flow, and optimized staffing.

• Mobile-First Purchasing: One-click checkout options through Apple Pay or Google Pay eliminated friction.

• User-Friendly UX: A clunky checkout page costs you real revenue. Every click matters—especially on mobile.

Your Strategy for 2026: What to Do Now

1. Design for immersion: More than fields, build attractions, backdrops, and branded spaces.

2. Craft emotional campaigns: Highlight joy, tradition, beauty, and seasonal magic.

3. Add value with upsells: Exclusive access, premium merch, and themed food.

4. Deploy smart marketing: Reach the right audience with the right message, on time, on platform, on purpose.

Final Thoughts

Bulb Costs and Supply Outlook

In 2024, tulip bulb costs surged due to reduced crop yields from the Netherlands—one of the world’s primary suppliers. Weather-related disruptions and supply chain constraints drove prices up, squeezing margins for many North American growers.

Looking ahead to fall 2025 and the 2026 planting season, early forecasts suggest continued tight supply and elevated pricing. Now is the time to plan ahead—secure your bulbs early and lock in pricing where possible to mitigate risk.

The 2025 tulip season proved that success blooms from more than just planting flowers. It's about crafting immersive experiences, opening and closing with intention. 

At AMG, we specialize in helping tulip farms and festivals create memorable moments and record-breaking seasons. With over a decade of experience, we’ve supported some of the largest and fastest-growing tulip events in North America, helping them find the right audience, drive attendance, and grow year-over-year

Ready to plan your best season yet? Contact Audience Media Group today.

Interested in partnering with AMG? Explore how we can help your business achieve record-breaking growth.