What’s Happening in Seattle

THE TULIP FESTIVAL

Every year, the great city of Mt. Vernon (about 60 miles north of Seattle) hosts a beautiful tulip festival throughout the month of April.

From their official website, “The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is one of the destination events for the Pacific Northwest, held from April 1-30, celebrating millions of tulips bursting into bloom. As with all things governed by Mother Nature, the tulips bloom according to their own schedule sometime during the festival. The tulips allow us to share our corner of the world and showcase Skagit Valley agriculture.

We depend on a strong volunteer base to keep our office up and running and to put on our festival activities. Creekside Continuing Care Community sponsors our volunteer program with nearly 30 volunteers.

Our festival is designed as a driving tour as there is no one “site” to enter. The fields of tulips are scattered throughout the Skagit Valley as are the many events and activities that comprise the festival. The tulip fields are the crops of RoozenGaarde/Washington Bulb Co., Inc. and Tulip Town. Due to crop rotation, the fields are in different locations each year. Both RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town also have displays of tulips in gardens for visitors to view and photograph.

We hope you enjoy taking in one of the many events and activities that happen only during April.

As the festival continues on its journey – we welcome people from across the United States and from around the world. In 2019 we were proud to greet visitors from all 50 states and from 85+ foreign countries.

We hope you enjoy our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SkagitValleyTulipFestival) and add your own favorite photos there. We continue to refine our brochure to give our fans the printed information they need to fully enjoy their trip to Skagit Valley. If you want a printed version rather than an electronic copy, click on the brochure tab and enter the appropriate information.

Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy your stay.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

Pike Place Market might be quiet right now because of the pandemic but normally it is a bustling marketplace for food and flower vendors alike. If you’re not familiar with the world-renowned market, let’s take a look at WikiPedia’s definition!

From Wiki:

Pike Place a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. Named after the central street, Pike Place runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street. With more than 10 million visitors annually, Pike Place Market is Seattle’s most popular tourist destination and is the 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the world.

The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill, and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. Each features a variety of unique shops such as antique dealers, comic book and collectible shops, small family-owned restaurants, and one of the oldest head shops in Seattle. The upper street level contains fishmongers, fresh produce stands and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market on a daily basis, in accordance with the Market’s mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to “Meet the Producer”.

Pike Place Market is home to nearly 500 residents who live in 8 different buildings throughout the Market. Most of these buildings have been low income housing in the past; however, some of them no longer are, such as the Livingston Baker apartments. The Market is run by the quasi-government Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA).

THE 5 BEST PARKS IN SEATTLE

Content initially from Timeout.Com

Discovery Park – At 534 acres, Discovery Park is the largest city park in Seattle. Its purpose is threefold: it’s a green oasis in a city that is  constantly developing, a wildlife sanctuary and a space dedicated to environmental education. It offers a beach, a forest, sand dunes, meadows, a space for environmental education and breathtaking views of both the Olympics and Cascades. The West Point Lighthouse is worth exploring in and of itself and the play area was renovated just last year.

Green Lake Park – Green Lake in northern Seattle is a neighborhood centered around the namesake lake, and the community feeling pervades throughout the park. With an ample grassy area, swimming, boating, sports fields and a 2.8-mile path, this natural reserve for plant- and bird-life is a one-stop-shop for park-goers. Plus, those who weren’t planning on picnicking will be delighted by the various restaurant options surrounding the park.

Gas Works Park – Featured in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, this 19.1 acres-park is located on what used to be the Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. Leftover factory parts make the park unique,              along with a killer view of Seattle from the north end of Lake Union. Be careful, though: potentially dangerous substances in the lake make it unlawful to swim, fish or boat here.

Seward Park – Although nicknamed the Emerald City and the Evergreen State, it’s at times still surprising to realize that getting lost in the forest doesn’t require leaving the city limits. Take Seward Park, for example:               at 300 acres, it takes up all of Bailey Peninsula in Lake Washington while boasting 2.4 miles of cycling/walking path, an amphitheatre, an art studio and beaches. What else could you ever wish for?

Kerry Park – You know that picture you’ve seen countless of times of Seattle with the Space Needle in the foreground, Mt. Rainier in the background & the downtown skyscrapers in the middle? That’s a shot from Kerry          Park. Sure, the park is made of 1.26 acres of greenery, including a playground and a modern sculpture, but the most outstanding portion of the area is certainly the view: so head on up and don’t forget to bring your camera.