Arts & Culture
Thanksgiving Point celebrating 20th Annual Tulip Festival
LEHI, Utah (March 12, 2024) – The twentieth annual Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival returns to AshtonGardens this year from April 10 to May 18. Over 250,000 tulips and 500,000 other spring bulbs create an unforgettable display of color and design, blooming into the largest and most popular Tulip Festival in Utah.
Twenty years ago, when the Ashton Gardens first hosted the “Tulip Festival,” it was purely a spring flower showcase. Now, with the addition of entertainment, decoration, and more, Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival has grown to be one of the largest and most popular Tulip Festivals in the nation. Each year, Thanksgiving Point’s horticulture team designs a brand-new display, importing tulips from the Netherlands and hand-planting over 250,000 tulip bulbs and 500,000 other flower bulbs each fall. Hundreds of varieties will bloom this spring, creating an impressive display over the month-long event.
The Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival holds multiple awards and unique accolades. In 2020, the “tulipa Thanksgiving Point” was unveiled in the Gardens. This highly fragrant, lily-flowering tulip is a bright sunny yellow and is registered on the International Register of Tulip Names. Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival is also a Guinness World Record holder – in 2022, over 100 volunteers and 40 staff planted 41,089 bulbs, more than doubling the previous record for Most Bulbs Planted in an Hour by a Team. Thanksgiving Point still holds this record to this day. The Tulip Festival has won Best in State for Festivals, Fairs, and Events seven times.
In addition to the budding bulbs, the Tulip Festival will include many activities, classes, and additional offerings to enhance the guest experience. For example, Brick Canvas, the yoga studio, salon, and spa located on Thanksgiving Point’s Water Tower Campus will host outdoor yoga classes every Friday during the Tulip Festival. Additional art classes, like watercolor painting, flower arranging, photography, and more allow guests to learn more about art and nature.
Some additional offerings include:
• Spring Flower Tour, a guided tour of the Ashton Gardens with one of our docents where guests will learn more about the plants and the property. This will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 am – 1 pm and is free with admission to the Tulip Festival.
• Electric Golf Cart Tour, the most exclusive offering at the Tulip Festival. For $500, five people receive admission, VIP parking, a chauffeured golf cart tour led by a horticulturist, and a reservation and $75 credit to the Trellis Café.
• Tulip Tot Playland, a festival playground included with admission. Fun activities and lawn games will be available for kids and adults daily.
• Tulip 5k, a 3.1-mile race through the Gardens and the tulips on April 27.
• Live music, vendors, food trucks, and additional activities are available during Peak Days (Fridays and Saturdays) of the Tulip Festival.
• Classes will be available throughout the Festival, including yoga, centerpiece design, bouquet design, watercolor painting, floral photography, and flower pressing.
• Daily concessions offer spring-themed food and drinks, like the Tulip Julep. Food trucks and carts will also be available on weekends.
The Tulip Festival will be open in Thanksgiving Point’s Ashton Gardens from April 10 to May 18, 9 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday. The Ashton Gardens are located at 3900 N. Garden Drive in Lehi, Utah.
The Tulip Festival is a time-ticketed event, and guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. Admission prices range from $17-29 and are split between Peak and Off-Peak days. Members receive free admission Monday-Friday. More information on ticketing can be found at thanksgivingpoint.org/tulip-festival.
